Beginning, Section III

CHAPTER 11

Posted on December 22, 2009

NETHERFIELD Monday Afternoon

Darcy was waiting impatiently to help Georgiana and Anne as soon as they stepped out of the coach. Anne descended first, and he gave her a fast hug, and whispering, "I will get back to you in a moment!" He turned, lifted his sister off the step of the coach, and clasped her tightly as he twirled the two of them around until they were a few steps distant.

"Wills! Put me down!" she cried, laughing in surprise.

He did, but still held her close as he murmured in her ear, "Did Richard tell you what happened here last week?"

"Yes," she murmured back, "I can hardly believe it – tell me about it later." She emitted another loud "Wills!" when he picked her up to whirl her around again and again as they both laughed, and he stopped, at last, so they could regain their equilibrium.

Caroline, greeting Anne as a well-bred hostess should, swore to herself that such improper behavior would not be allowed once she had authority. She went over to greet Georgiana sedately and with cloying sincerity.

Darcy came back, gave his cousin another, fiercer and longer hug, kissed her cheek, and holding her at arm's length, looked at her admiringly, "Little Annie! You have turned into a beautiful lady. You had better stop this, or I will be wounded by trying to protect you from all of the unwelcome suitors flocking to Netherfield."

"Darce, you are acting like a flighty schoolgirl, but I must say I like it. Did the carriage with the luggage arrive all right?" Anne asked.

"Yes, and Sally and Hattie both said that they had to threaten you and Georgie to stop selecting gowns before you needed a third coach to carry all of your new finery. Just when I was thinking there could not possibly be another trunk, the footman would be lifting one more out. I did not realize you planned to live here permanently," he jested.

"You had better let me go inside and lie down with some cold cloths on my head. Is it my imagination, or have you turned into Richard?"

At that moment, Bingley broke in, "Miss de Bourgh, welcome to Netherfield! Please pay no attention to this rowdy fellow – I invited a quiet, reserved friend, and he has turned into a total stranger overnight. Miss Darcy, so good to see you again too, and if you will be patient, perhaps I can find your brother while we have some tea." He urged the merry party up the steps to the entryway to take off their outerwear, and on into the drawing room, where a surprise was awaiting Anne.

"Miss Elizabeth, how delightful!" Anne cried, "Richard told me during dinner last night that I would soon see you again, but I did not expect it to happen for another couple of days." Surprising both of them, she gave Elizabeth a brief, but warm hug.

"When Mr. Bingley asked my sister to be here to meet you this afternoon, I threatened utter mayhem if I was not allowed to accompany her," Elizabeth said.

Bingley intervened to make the proper introductions among those persons who were unknown to each other, and conversation was general while tea was served with appropriate snacks.

An hour later, Jane softly told Bingley to have the carriage sent out front. "Lizzy and I need to go home in order for Miss Darcy and Miss de Bourgh to rest. I am sure they have a lot to talk about with Mr. Darcy, and you must not forget, my mother expects you to bring them when you come to see us tomorrow." She lifted an eyebrow. "You will still be courting me tomorrow, I hope?"

He rose to ring the bell and grinned, "Fitzwilliam and his entire regiment would be unable to stop me."

With good-byes said, Caroline showed Georgiana and Anne to their rooms, which to their pleasure, shared a sitting room. As she was leaving, Caroline said to them, "I understand Mr. Darcy and my brother will take you to call on the Bennets tomorrow. On Wednesday evening, the Bennets and the Lucases will be here for dinner, and Miss de Bourgh, you can renew your acquaintance with Sir William Lucas and his daughter, Maria. Then, on Saturday afternoon, we have invited many of the neighbours and officers for a picnic and lawn games here."

Anne said, "It sounds like we will be busy enjoying ourselves. Thank you for arranging all of these pleasures for us to look forward to."

"Oh, just trifles to keep us from being bored to death in this quiet corner of the kingdom. Please let me apologize in advance for the countrified manners and out-of-date fashions that will be displayed. Louisa and I are trying our best to bring the local gentry more current, but we have not had that much time to do so yet." Smiling deprecatingly, Caroline left and closed the door.

When the sound of her steps faded down the hall, Georgie started to giggle, but keeping a straight face, Anne said, "Yes, I miss all of the activities and the myriad visitors at Rosings so much; there was never a dull moment there. Georgie, I know you have had her as a guest at Pemberley, she has to have noticed it is in the middle of nothing but fields, pastures, forest and miles and miles of surrounding countryside. How does she spend her time when she is visiting there?"

"She looks around the house with greedy eyes and watches my brother like a hawk – just waiting. I am not sure she even knows what the far side of the garden looks like, and she considers the crops, livestock, and tenants to be necessary evils easily ignored. If one of the neighbors happens to call, you would think she was a secondary hostess. Ooo – I was bad to say that! Please do not tell Wills." Georgie begged, laughing, "Uh oh! Sally is here to check on you. I had better let you rest for a while. I will wash and dress for a walk around the garden, and see you back here before supper."

Anne turned around to find Sally peering at her anxiously. "Well, little darlin' you look fine, and here I was, worrying some more gray into this old red head of mine. Come on, I have some warm water for you to wash the dust off, then I think either a nice nap or a nice boring book would be just the thing for an hour or so."

"You old tyrant! I suppose I should do that before you start being mean." Anne smiled and followed Sally from the room, wondering how she had betrayed her need to rest. Thank goodness, it would not need to be for long; she really was so much better; it was hard even for her to believe.

LONGBOURN Late Tuesday Morning

Talking with Mrs. Bennet in the Longbourn drawing room, Anne contained her surprise at the differences in temperament of the five Bennet sisters. Elizabeth's prettiness went almost unnoticed due to her wit and charm, while the inherent goodness of the quietly beautiful Jane had met her expectations after hearing of her from Mrs. Collins, Mr. Bingley, and Elizabeth. However, the solemn, serious Mary was difficult to imagine as being in the same family with the two youngest Bennets, who acted even younger than they actually were in years. The only other family of this size she was familiar with, the Fitzwilliams, seemed to be related in their behavior and thoughts, even if they looked quite different. The Bennets seemed to be divided into three groups; the two older sisters, the single middle one, and the two youngest girls. It seemed strange, but then she had been sick and isolated at Rosings for so many years, that it was just one more subject area in which she needed more experience to know and appreciate.

Mrs. Bennet, relishing the current excitement, started to tell Miss de Bourgh all about the viper the whole town had taken to its bosom, but she was astounded to learn that the villain and the noble Lady Catherine's daughter had known each other as children. She was beginning to detail his nefarious deeds in Meryton, -- although he had never fooled her, not for an instant – when Lizzy broke in to suggest that Mr. Darcy and his sister might wish to see some of the books in Mr. Bennet's study, of all things available for them to do. There was no understanding that girl, but it did remove that aloof Mr. Darcy from the room. With those three people gone, Mrs. Bennet was able to chat confidentially to Jane, Mr. Bingley, and Miss de Bourgh for several minutes, telling them what had happened last week. (Yes, Mr. Bingley had been there, but he did not know everything that went on in town.)

At that point, Lydia interrupted to say that there was nothing to do. and no one to talk to at Longbourn, so she and Kitty were going to town for some ribbons. Mary then politely excused herself to go practice for an hour or so. (Mrs. Bennet thought 'banging' on the pianoforte was a better description.) Then Jane said that while it probably was nothing in comparison to Rosings, the herb garden was starting to bloom a little, and smelled so nice, that she was sure Mr. Bingley and Miss de Bourgh would enjoy wandering in the garden for a while. Suddenly Mrs. Bennet was alone. The quiet was all right for a few moments, until she decided to make sure the preparations for luncheon were going forward properly. Maybe, with luck, today or tomorrow Mr. Bingley would propose, and she would never have to worry about hedgerows again. Such a relief that would be!

Meanwhile, in the study, good-natured arguments and fun seemed to rule the day. Mr. Bennet and Mr. Darcy started everything by being at odds on the number of Roman poets that should be included in their limited library. Then Elizabeth stated that a library could not be complete without a novel or two, and she called on Georgiana to back up this decision. At first, Georgiana felt timid in the presence of Mr. Bennet, but with her brother's encouragement and smiles, she said Elizabeth was correct. Trouble reared an ugly head, though, when the two girls could not agree on any novels except The Mysteries of Udolpho, upon which Darcy said that was four books, not one, therefore it could not be allowed, a rule protested by the girls. Elizabeth put forward the notion that The Odyssey could be likened to a novel, a statement so startling that Mr. Bennet and Mr. Darcy were silenced for a moment or two. Georgiana shyly added that A Midsummer Night's Dream was somewhat like a fantasy, and could probably be written as an exciting novel, but no man could deny possessing that fine novel, Much Ado About Nothing. Mr. Darcy rolled his eyes and moaned about the vast sums he had spent sending his sister to that exclusive school. Mr. Bennet loudly grieved he had only himself to blame for educating Elizabeth, but her strange ideas must be caused by these new relaxed standards spreading throughout the country, what with Lord Byron and all. Darcy, an admirer of Byron, leapt to the young poet's defense, and soon everyone was laughing too much for the amiable altercation to continue.

Fortunately, Jane opened the door and asked if they wished to accompany the trio from the parlor outside into the garden for a walk. Mr. Bennet waved them on their way, saying that he needed some time to recover from the shock of the ideas being brought forward by the young women of today. (If he had been able to stop smiling and chuckling, he might have been believed.)

A few minutes later, Darcy was dismayed to find himself strolling with Bingley and Jane, while his sister and cousin were on either side of Elizabeth. How did that happen? He set himself to trying to decide a better configuration that placed him beside Elizabeth, though he realized any attempt to separate Bingley and Miss Bennet would never succeed for long. It became clear that a group of only one man and three women (three of them related), was not really ideal to break into couples.

Elizabeth smiled and said, "Miss de Bourgh, you look so much better than you did in Kent. What have you been doing? And do not tell me it is just the latest in sleeves, or lace, or ruffles – I want the truth."

"You will find out only if you call me Anne, and I can call you Elizabeth. Unless you accompany me back to Rosings, my formal and strict mother will never know. And while we are doing this, meet my cousin Georgie, not Miss Darcy, although, when she gets obstreperous, the family calls her Georgiana," Anne declared firmly.

"I accept your conditions, but most people, as you know, call me Lizzy. Now, Anne, how are you doing, you look lively and ready to dance a jig, or even run a race."

"According to the two different top-of-the-trees doctors that Richard located, I am well. I saw one of them in the morning and the other in the afternoon of the same day. They both agreed that according to everything we told them, I used to be very sick, indeed. Then they both said there is nothing wrong with me now. Lizzy, it was all I could do to keep from laughing when each of them spoke, -- everyone in the family could have said the same thing. However, they both also said, that in their experience with recovering soldiers, the ones who became the most active recovered faster, and were stronger than the lazy ones. So all I do is try to keep up with Georgie, and it seems to be working beautifully. I still rest an hour or two in the afternoons, but if you think back to Rosings, it was three or four hours every afternoon." Anne's twinkling blue eyes, glowing complexion, and vibrancy backed up her assertion.

"If you want to be active, it is three miles from Netherfield to Longbourn, and I will meet with you anywhere along the way you wish to every day. I have not changed my habits in the least, and still walk every morning," said Lizzy.

"In this instance, I will have to disappoint you," Anne said. "I can stay up late with most people, but I still require more sleep, although not nearly as much as I did before. Maybe in another two or three weeks I could do that, but in the meantime, late mornings and early afternoons are best."

"We can certainly make plans for those hours. Georgie, when are you most likely to do your practicing on the pianoforte?" Lizzy inquired.

"Whenever I can fit the time in, Miss El… er, Lizzy. Except for mealtimes, of course," Georgie replied.

"She is teasing you. Darce and Richard have been known to drag her kicking and screaming into the dining room," Anne stated with a grin.

When Lizzy laughed, Georgie blushed slightly and murmured, "I will sometimes become absorbed in the music and lose track of time."

"Beethoven, Mozart, Salieri, Haydn, or Handel?" asked Lizzy.

"Yes – all of them have written particular favorites of mine. Ask my brother and your father who the best writer of all time is, and if they can decide, maybe I could decide who is the best composer, but I doubt it." Georgie's response required that Anne be provided with a history of the bickering in the study.

"Next time any men attempt to denigrate novels, you must call me in to help," Anne declared with a firm nod.

Darcy, Bingley, and Jane had stopped to find out the cause of the merriment, and when everyone resumed walking, Darcy was accompanied by Anne and Lizzy, while Georgie walked with Jane and Bingley – an arrangement much more to his liking.

"Mr. Darcy, we had better make some rules for conversation here in the garden. Books may be talked about, but whether or not they should be allowed in a small library is prohibited. Anne and I are agreed on that, are we not?" Lizzy smirked at Anne, who nodded emphatically.

Surprised and pleased by the informality newly existing between the two women, he agreed, and a convivial discussion across a range of subjects occupied the entire group until Mrs. Bennet had them called inside for some luncheon. Mr. Darcy, Georgiana and Anne left Longbourn after dining, promising to see the Bennets again for dinner the next day at Netherfield. Bingley stayed on for a couple of hours, talking quietly to Jane, while Lizzy worked on her embroidery on the other side of the room, and Mary studied her book.

WEDNESDAY Morning

A wonderful aroma was in the hallway, enticing her to the kitchen to cajole Polly into sharing whatever she was baking. Polly had been cook at Longbourn as long as Lizzy could remember, and the kitchen was always her last stop before she left the house on her walk. "Is that your muffins baking that I smell, or are they already done? Please say they are through cooking!"

"Yes, they finished a few minutes ago, but be careful, they are still warm. And here you are, young miss, I heard you coming and peeled one of the boiled eggs that I cooked earlier, and it is still warm too." Polly said handing her both items with a smile.

"Oh, what a treat! I might crush one of them now, but you get a big hug when I return and both hands are empty," and with a returning big smile, she slipped out of the door when Polly opened it. She went down the drive while eating the egg, having decided to nibble the muffin on the way to Oakham Mount. The sun had been up for twenty or so minutes, so she would miss the sunrise, but that was all right, she had a lot to think about once she arrived. With near perfect timing, she finished the muffin just before she reached the turnoff for the Mount. A few yards down the road, past the turn, she slowed at the sight of a horse under a tree, then smiled, "Mr. Darcy, are you lying in wait for me?"

"Yes and no, Miss Elizabeth. My horse seemed to welcome a short rest, and I thought if you were, by chance, going to Oakham Mount, this was a good place to meet and walk with you." Darcy had hoped she would walk this way, but smiled at his good luck this morning. He would not need to embarrass himself by pretending to ride up and down various roads just to exercise his horse.

"All right. Did you wish to go the entire way to the summit? If so, we can take the longer path that allows horses along. Otherwise, I will go the shorter way that has some fences and stiles." Lizzy had not realized it before, but it was a perfect morning for company on her walk, so she added shyly, "It would be nice to have someone with me for a change."

Time stood still for Darcy, and it felt like forever before he tugged his horse from grazing on the grass, and it took an eternity to reach Lizzy's side. "I had no idea where to go this morning until now, -- Galahad and I will enjoy both the walk and the view."

"Galahad?" Lizzy quizzed, surprised.

"My sister was entranced with King Arthur and all of his gallant knights, and like a dolt, I agreed to let her name the colt born to one of my favorite mares. She was nine years old at the time. Ever since then, I have to approve any name she suggests," Darcy said ruefully, then gave a short laugh,. "You should hear some of the names she offers, just to see my reaction. It has become almost a game between us when a new foal is born."

"Name some of them for me," Lizzy demanded, grinning.

"Never. I swear she must have two or three pages containing lists of names, and the entire family aids and abets her. Richard, of course, is the worst. You may as well just give up on this subject," Darcy averred.

"I will wait and ask Georgie at dinner tonight," Lizzy said. "Maybe I can think of some names for her lists that are not on there already."

"I must remember to warn Miss Bingley not to have you seated beside Georgie or Anne," Darcy jested, then added, "or maybe I will leave for town this afternoon instead of tomorrow morning."

Before she could stop herself, Lizzy asked in dismay, "You are leaving? For how long?"

Darcy faltered the least bit, feeling his whole being light up at the tone of her voice, and answered, "I hope to return Friday evening with Fitzwilliam. If not, we will be here Saturday morning in plenty of time for the picnic. I understand Bingley is setting up an area to play cricket, and skittles was also mentioned."

Lizzy, still trying to recover, said, "It will be a much better party with both of you present. I was surprised when I heard the Colonel had gone on Sunday morning, and now you are leaving also. I am not prying into your private affairs, but I do hope there is no family emergency."

"Oh no, there is no emergency. Fitzwilliam and I knew that Anne and, especially Georgiana, needed to know what happened here last week with Wickham. We could not allow them to come, not knowing that although he would be a huge topic of conversation here, that he would not be able to bother them in the least. Above all Georgie had to know their names had not been linked together. If we had not been positive about that, I assure you, we would have made them stay in London, and I would have left also," Darcy stated.

Stopping and looking up at him, Lizzy earnestly told him, "Between Mama and Lydia, everyone at Longbourn must know everything that is being said in the neighbourhood. If I hear any whisper along those lines, you will be told immediately. Do not worry on that score."

He stopped also, and his dark eyes were as warm and gentle as his voice, "Thank you, that is much appreciated. It will lessen my fears."

Bewildered by the impulses rushing through her to move closer to him, Lizzy turned and started walking again. Clearing her throat (Oh, for some water right now!), she said, "I had a letter from Charlotte, Mrs. Collins, yesterday, saying that she and Mr. Collins had not been invited to Rosings since you left with Anne and the Colonel. Lady Catherine does not appear to be ill, because my cousin walks over there at least once a day, but sometimes she has him turned away at the door, which perturbs him greatly. The strangest thing is, Charlotte still thinks that Anne is betrothed to you, and so do all of the servants at Rosings and Hunsford."

They turned and started up the grade to the top of Mount Oakham. Looking up at Darcy, she saw he had a big smile, and shortly, he began to chuckle. She glanced at him, but he appeared to be paying attention only to the uphill path. When he chortled even more, she stopped, faced him with her hands on her hips, and exclaimed, "What!"

He drew his hand down his face to try and stop laughing, and succeeded to a large extent, replying, "Not here, wait until we reach the top."

Pursing her lips to the side and nodding, she turned and started up the short distance left to climb, trying not to heed him, as he followed, making an occasional strangled coughing sound. After reaching the summit, Darcy put his horse to graze in a nearby patch of grass, and they chose which bench to sit on. Once seated, she looked at him expectantly, but when he hesitated and remained silent, but with a slight flush his the cheeks, she said gently, "I am waiting."

"It is an uncomfortable thing to talk about, because my behavior was not exemplary during that period of time. And I am not talking about the time I spent with you, wherein I conducted myself rather badly." His face reddened and when he stole a glance, her cheeks were pink. He groaned, "You might do better to wait for Fitzwilliam and let him tell you. He makes it sound like a veritable comedy by Shakespeare! My aunt and uncle are such sticklers for family propriety that I feared they might cast me out when they heard what I did. But, by the time he finished telling them what happened, everyone in the room, -- his parents, Sophy, and Georgiana, Anne, and even me, -- were laughing. I still can not believe my actions at times, but he makes them funny."

Mortified, Lizzy rose to her feet, "Please say you did not…!"

"Oh no! I assure you it has nothing to do with you. The twenty four hours that occurred after I left you in the grove, and then saw you again the next morning at the parsonage, were as eventful as the preceding twenty-four hours had been. Altogether, those two days have so turned my life around, that it is now unrecognizable, -- and, incomprehensibly, somehow much better than it had been. I believe that when you refused me, your disapproval made me want to become a better man." Stunned by what he had just admitted, Darcy was silent as he realized the truth of what he had said.

Staring at him with a little wonder and a lot of confusion, -- was this cause to be embarrassed or not -- she slowly sat back down. Wanting to avoid the subject of her refusal of him, she said with a small smile, "You laughed all of the way up the hill. I would rather hear what took place from you than hear it from Colonel Fitzwilliam."

Leaning forward and clasping his hands between his knees, Darcy kept gazing across the landscape. "I was up most of the night after we argued, writing that letter, and though I tried, I could not sleep." He turned his head for a quick glance at her, but she maintained her gaze on him, so he turned back to stare at the fields again. "After I gave you the letter, I started back to Rosings, because I had a meeting with my aunt. I stopped to rest for a few minutes, and Fitzwilliam came upon me as he was out walking. Fortunately… or unfortunately… he was carrying his walking stick, the one full of brandy, and between no sleep and no food, I was soon foxed. Going into the meeting with him and my aunt, I was rather, well, let us just say I feared no evil."

Fearfully, he glanced at her again, but her face wore a small grin and those tell-all eyes were sparkling. "Now you must tell me every last thing. I cannot imagine going in to meet Lady Catherine in that condition. It must have been quite a memorable battle."

He sat up straight and laughed, "That is exactly as Fitzwilliam describes it, and in fact, the whole family now refers to it as 'The Battle in the Study.' I am torn between embarrassment and pride when they use that name."

"Since I still do not know what happened, you had better tell me at once, so that I may share the mirth," Lizzy demanded.

Darcy gazed at the heavens for a moment, then continued, "Well, Richard's walking stick did not hold enough brandy, so he and I went to the library to drink even more…" finishing some time later with, "and, as you know, we left after stopping at the parsonage."

Lizzy looked at him with wide eyes and had to chuckle, "Now I know why Lady Catherine refused to see my cousin for three or four days. She was missing her daughter, but not celebrating, as we thought! Mr. Collins related that she frequently told him to be quiet, when he tried to talk about her joy over Anne's betrothal to you. Come, you can tell me the rest on the way back. Mama gets upset if I am too delayed in my return home for breakfast."

Darcy gathered Galahad's reins, and they started down the hill, minding their steps on the slope and only talking sporadically until they reached the flat lane. Darcy admitted, "Aunt Catherine's denial does not surprise me, but it will be impossible to keep it secret much longer. If you do not wish to answer, I understand, but have you written to Mrs. Collins yet about what you know?"

"Not yet. I wanted to ask Anne what she would wish me to say, although I am sure that Lady Lucas will be keeping her abreast of all the news. The entire list of Anne, Georgie, you, and the Colonel visiting, Wickham being arrested, Jane and Mr. Bingley's courtship, will probably make the lack of your betrothal unnoticed. Mr. Wickham had mentioned to me that your family was planning on the marriage of the two of you to unite the estates, but I never heard any gossip about it here, so I doubt he said so to other people. As for my cousin, he talked about the match, but again, no one spread any gossip about it."

"Thank goodness. Anne does not need that to worry about, along with everything else that will soon be happening." Darcy had relaxed enough in Lizzy's company that he forgot to guard his words.

"Everything else? Are you up to something besides ridding us of Wickham?" Lizzy asked.

"No, not here, but at Rosings. I have to meet my uncle in town tomorrow for meetings with bankers and solicitors and such to finish up the plans to move Aunt Catherine into the Dower House at Rosings. I must also be gone two or three days next week, and with Fitzwilliam staying for only the weekend, perhaps you might lend Anne some support if she becomes too concerned." Darcy's voice was hopeful.

Lizzy blinked, and halted to stare up at him. "Lady Catherine is moving into the Dower House?" Her voice made it clear she did not think that could be correct.

Darcy sighed and stopped to explain, "Yes, another wild idea I sprang on the family, and they thought it might work out as well as the proposed sale of Rosings did. Aunt Catherine does not yet know she is moving, but we have planned that…" And, as they resumed walking, he told her about what would soon be taking place at Rosings under Lord Matlock's guidance.

"Mr. Darcy, if I did not realize what the saying, 'Iron hand in a velvet glove' meant previously, I understand it now. What a wickedly delightful scenario. Be sure to tell Anne before you leave that I am aware of this, so she knows there is another female here for her to talk to."

Darcy smiled and nodded, seeing they would soon be at the Longbourn drive, and, oh how he wished the walk would not end. If only he could spend the entire day talking to her, being enchanted by her, maybe even going so far as to… Uh oh, he better not think about that right now at this moment.

Lizzy, seized by an impertinent demon, stopped and looked up at him, her brow lifted and her eyes dancing, "Mr. Darcy, do you by chance have an identical twin brother?"

"No, Miss Elizabeth, not to my knowledge. I am sure if that were true, I would have been informed about it before now. Why do you ask?" He walked with her as she turned again.

With a slight smile, Lizzy said, "It is exceedingly strange. Last year, a man claiming he was a Mr. Darcy of Pemberley also stayed at Netherfield for a while. He looked exactly like you, but he was aloof, proud, seldom talked to any person not in his own party, and danced only once with a local girl. Oddly, the same man was at Rosings, when I visited in Kent, haughty and taciturn as before. Yet, here you are, looking exactly like he did, but you are friendly, you have a sense of humor, you can tease, and I bet you can even dance. On top of that, you are something of a hero for helping our townspeople, and ridding us of a villain. I must say, perhaps you should hunt down that imposter and tell him to stay away from Hertfordshire forever. Ah, here is the drive to Longbourn. She turned to face him, and looking deeply into his warm, dark eyes, said in her gentlest tone, "I am glad that it is you who will be at dinner tonight, and at the picnic on Saturday. In fact, I look forward to it, -- eagerly." With a pronounced blush, she turned to walk swiftly down the drive.

Darcy stood staring for a couple of moments, watching her figure recede down the drive. Not even the finest of Shakespeare could equal the power of that speech had to affect him in this exhilarating manner. He turned, mounted Galahad, and they moved slowly, while he lost himself in various dreams and musings. However, by the time the duo reach Netherfield, the horse welcomed a landscape without fences to be jumped or roads to be galloped on, while the rider still bore a triumphant grin. He did not even acknowledge Hurst, whom he passed while on his way up the stairs to his room. Hurst just shook his head, smiled at the glimpse of Darcy's face, and continued on his way in silent satisfaction.

NETHERFIELD Wednesday Evening

Elizabeth was amused and irritated at the start of dinner at Netherfield. She had expected Miss Bingley would place her as far as possible from Mr. Darcy, Georgie, and Anne, so being placed between Mr. Hurst and Lydia, and opposite her mother was not unexpected, and was amusing insofar as it fulfilled her expectations. The irritation – escalating rapidly into anger -- was caused by the constant flow of loud talk between her gossipy parent and her foolish sister. If Lydia said 'poor Wickham' one more time, a bowl of soup, a glass of wine, something liquid, would be spilled on her lap, or even thrown in her face. Talking at home was one thing, but now they were in company, and their talk was improper at this time and place.

Suddenly, at her side came Mr. Hurst's quiet baritone, "Miss Elizabeth, would you mind sitting back for a minute, so that I can address your sister?"

Surprised at being addressed by him, she nodded, sat straight, and leaned back, very curious about what he could possibly have to say to Lydia, of all people.

"Miss Lydia," Hurst began, leaning forward partly in front of Elizabeth, but speaking quietly the entire time, "I know you are still young, - what are you, twelve or thirteen? – but you have no idea of how despicable Wickham's actions were. He stole money. He stole a horse. He stole merchandise from shopkeepers who have to feed their children. He lied. He wasted his inheritance. He squandered three thousand pounds. He deserted his post in the army. He despoiled foolish young women, just like you are. If you can find any reason to call him 'poor,' I congratulate you." Straightening, Hurst turned his head slightly, "Thank you, Miss Elizabeth," and turning back to his plate, picked up his fork and resumed eating his excellent roast partridge.

"Mr. Hurst, it was definitely my pleasure. Please, do not hesitate to ask any time you wish to speak." Elizabeth also started on the partridge, which was some of the best she had ever tasted.

Mrs. Bennet, who had been able to hear only snippets of what was said, grew red in the face, and her mouth opened and closed several times. Stunned, she remained silent, waiting for someone to protest, but no one did, because Hurst had spoken so quietly and directly to Lydia, that no one else heard him amid all of the other conversations.

Lydia's face turned red also, then white, then red again as she started to cry noiselessly. No one had ever spoken to her in such a way before, and she simply could not think. She rose and fled the room, but almost everyone, after a curious glance, assumed she had spilled some wine or food onto her gown and wished to clean it off before it stained permanently.

After dinner, when the men and women rejoined, and after coffee and desserts, Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley performed on the pianoforte for them, and Mary accompanied Elizabeth in two songs they had practiced.

As Elizabeth's voice slowly died away singing the final 'languisce il cor' from Caro Mio Ben,* Jane came over to ask, "Do you know what is wrong with Lydia? I can see she has been crying and I thought you might know, since you were sitting beside her at the table."

"Nothing she did not deserve," Elizabeth said tartly. "I know you probably will not agree with that, but I will tell you at bedtime tonight. And do not frown, it was not me for a change, though I was tempted." She shook her head slightly as her emotions whipsawed between the longing love she had expressed in the song, and now, irritation with Jane of all people, simply for reminding her about Lydia's behavior at dinner. Jane, being Jane, easily moved back to Bingley, but Lizzy decided to stay away from members of her own family, and went over to sit in an empty space next to Georgie.

"That was so beautiful. I wish I could sing like that," Georgie said wistfully.

Lifting her brow, Lizzy smiled, "Everyone says you play so well, and I am anxious to hear you, but I remember my difficulties at your age. Perhaps next time you visit us at Longbourn, you can play for us." She added a small plea, "Please, do you think you could try now?"

"Oh no, not with all of these strange people here. I could not," Georgie declared.

"Of course. I forget how strange Sir William and Lady Lucas and Maria are to people who do not know them." Lizzy would have succeeded in the apology if she could have kept a straight face.

"Lizzy! That is not what I meant at all!" Georgie protested, and both girls were laughing as Anne came over to sit on the sofa with them.

"What are you saying? I must have my share in the conversation!" Anne exclaimed in such an exact imitation of her mother, that the rest of the room stared as Lizzy and Georgie practically howled with glee. Darcy, who had moved over to stand in back of the sofa, also was laughing, but because no one else present, except Sir William and Maria, knew Lady Catherine, the joke was unexplainable.

Soon, a few of the guests enjoyed playing charades in the music room, thus avoiding any interruption of the serious whist players in the drawing room, where tables had been set up for those who wished to compete. To the astonishment of all the players, Mr. Hurst and Mrs. Bennet, partnered by chance, proved to be an unbeatable pair that night. "Some things really are past all understanding and must be forever considered a mystery," was Mr. Bennet's wry comment on the matter.

MATLOCK HOUSE Thursday Evening

Lord Matlock, Richard and Darcy were enjoying brandy and cigars after dinner and trying to coordinate their plans for Rosings.

Lord Matlock said, "Rivenhart will be here next week on Tuesday or Wednesday with that Meriville fellow. Wills, I would like it, if you would come back next Wednesday to talk to the man also. I trust Rivenhart's opinion, but all of us will be working with the man who becomes the Rosings steward, so we had best agree beforehand." At Darcy's nod, he continued, "Richard, I am depending on you to keep everything here at Matlock House going to the correct destination. I will be moving to Rosings the end of next week to oversee the work there. Lionel has been my secretary for so many years, he knows what to do better than I, but if you came every day or so, and just glanced over things, I would feel better. More important, since Sophy and the children will be returning to Essex, your mother will be feeling at a loss, and no, do not say she should join me in Kent."

"Certainly, Father. Have you hinted that Robert or Frederica might welcome her since the babes will be arriving shortly?" Richard asked.

"Yes, she is torn between the two new grandchildren coming and helping Anne settle into managing Rosings once we get Cathy into the Dower House. She described the problem as 'between the devil and the deep blue sea.' With both babes due so close together, she says that one of our children will feel slighted when she chooses the other, and she may just choose Anne. At breakfast, I told her to toss a coin, and she tossed a small piece of toast at me." Lord Matlock was still indignant about that. "Darcy, did you have a chance to look over that big pile of papers this afternoon, so you will be ready when we meet with the bankers and solicitors tomorrow?"

"Yes, I did," Darcy said, "and the amount of money that has been lost is not as great as I feared it would be. On the other hand, it is not as little as I hoped it would be either. Gareth has set up the furniture delivery at the townhouse for next Monday, and now that I know when you want me here,

I will meet with the rental agency I hired, and go through the house after I arrive. Uncle Henry, are you positive you do not want me in Kent to help you?"

"What would you do there, Darce?" Lord Matlock teased. "Chop a tree down? Hammer a nail? Argue with Cathy? No, it only needs one person at this time, and besides, our new steward will be with me if everything goes right. You just keep Anne and Georgie happy."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you!" Darcy exclaimed, "Aunt Catherine has told no one that Anne and I are not betrothed. Evidently, all of Kent expects to see the announcement in the papers anytime."

"Mrs. Collins?" quizzed Richard.

"Yes, Miss Elizabeth received a letter, and wondered what to reply. I told her to ask Anne, because I was not sure what to say," Darcy replied. At his uncle's look of confusion, he explained, "Aunt Catherine's parson, Mr. Collins, is related to the Bennets, one of Bingley's neighbours, and Mrs. Collins is a close friend of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Anne met Miss Elizabeth in March when she stayed with the Collinses for six weeks, until after Easter. Richard met her then, also. Oh, and I met her last year when I stayed with Bingley in Hertfordshire. And, of course, with Anne and Georgie at Netherfield, they are often in each others company." (His uncle still looked confused, but Darcy felt any more information would just make the confusion worse.)

Now, his uncle looked gloomy. "Speaking of engagements, Darce, I am sorry to say your aunt and Sophy have decided that you need to get engaged to someone soon. Every evening at dinner they are going through the available choices, suitable and unsuitable. So far they have not come up with any prime candidates, but they are narrowing them down, and you had best be prepared when you return to town. They did not say anything tonight because you were present, but it is just a matter of time before they start lecturing you."

Richard kept a casually interested look on his face. He and Anne had convinced his mother and sister that Miss Elizabeth was perfect for Darcy. In turn, the Fitzwilliams ladies had confided their strategy to convince the head of the family that a poor country miss was perfect for the heir to Pemberley. Put simply, they would wear Lord Matlock down with by hearing the bad points about the present single ladies of the ton, until a ray of hope for Darcy arose in Hertfordshire. Richard frankly thought the plan was hopeless, if not crazy, but he had never seen his mother really lose a battle with his father.

Darcy looked gloomy too, as well he should; he loved his Aunt Eleanor and adored Sophy, but if they were determined he should get married, he was doomed. There was no hope at all.

NETHERFIELD Friday Evening

Peering through the window – again - at the drive, Georgiana was becoming anxious, because the sun was starting to set, the light was fading, and her brother and cousin were still not here. It could be that her imagination was too vivid, but whenever Wills traveled after dark, all she could see was disaster again occurring to a loved one, as it had with her father's illness. She turned and went back to sit with Anne, but at the last moment, decided to peek one more time. Her ploy did not work – the drive was still empty. Shoulders drooping, she went back and sat beside Anne with the glum face that sixteen year old young ladies can assume for any number of reasons.

"Now, Georgiana, you simply must stop this worrying about your brother," Miss Bingley ordered. "His calm and controlled manner is so exemplary, we all should try to emulate him."

Beyond casting a dark look at her hostess, Georgiana sat primly with her hands clasped in her lap, but a person looking at her closely would have said she was on the point of quivering all over, ready to explode into a leap back to the window.

Anne touched her cousin's hand and gave her the embroidery she was working on, "Here, you take a few stitches, and I will take up the window lookout position." With a small grin and mischievous eyes, she added, "I wager a new fan that nothing will be said to me!"

Georgie lit up with a grin and said with syrupy sincerity, "Thank you for the offer, but I would not like to do that at this time." Then she quietly hissed, "You have enough fans already."

Caroline kept turning the pages of one of the current fashion journals to pass the time until Darcy arrived, while Louisa had her sketch book and was busy trying to perfect a picture of the bird bath in the rose garden.

A few minutes later, Anne exclaimed, "I think they are – Oh! – Oh my! – Richard! – You, you…" and she darted from the drawing room into the hall, and they could hear her rapid steps to the door. Her happy excitement had been so evident that no one was alarmed, but Georgie rushed after her, full of curiosity. What was Richard up to now? If Richard was here on horseback, was Wills with him? Where was the carriage?

A footman had the front door open just a couple feet when Anne reached it, but she sidestepped through it and raced headlong to the bottom of the stairs, just a few seconds before Richard reached there, driving one of the neatest little phaetons she had ever seen, pulled by an absolutely gorgeous little light-sorrel mare. He jumped out to secure the reins to a post, and turned just in time, as she almost knocked him down and strangled him with the force of her hug. As quickly as she grabbed him, she let him go to practically dance up and down the length of the phaeton as she looked at it and touched different sections.

"Richard, it is beautiful! She is beautiful! How did you know how much I miss my drives? Oh dear! It is for me, I hope?" The words tumbled out.

The rumbling noise of Darcy's horses and carriage arriving drowned his reply, and Georgie had also reached the bottom of the stairs to add more noise with her cries. Bingley, coming hurriedly from the stables, a second or two behind Georgie, added more exclamations to the din. Hurst came down the steps and grunted in approval, admiring one of the most perfectly formed small carriage horses he had ever seen; Tattersall's must have made a nice little profit for somebody on that piece of horseflesh. Louisa came down to look with a mildly covetous eye; how nice it would be if she had something similar when they stayed with Hurst's parents on their estate. Caroline stood halfway down the steps, irritated that everyone moving around so much kept her from going down and holding onto Darcy. And what a waste of a horse and buggy out here in the country with no one important to see it; now in Hyde Park during the Rotten Row afternoon promenade – that would be something, indeed. (Perhaps a discussion with Charles about increasing her allowance was in order. And driving lessons, of course.)

Meantime, Darcy, Anne, Richard, Georgie, and Bingley formed an admiring semi-circle around one of the wheels. Leaning forward to look closely, Anne asked, "Are the interior parts of the wheels and the spokes a pale blue? It is hard to tell between the road dust and dimming light."

"Yes it is," Richard affirmed, "and if the leather on the seat cushions is not the same exact blue as your eyes, I wasted entirely too much of my time picking it out."

Anne just laughed and demanded, "Pull the step out so I can climb up and sit there, just for a moment, please. I want to see what it feels like." After it was pulled out, she stepped up and said, "Come on, Georgie, there is more than enough room for both of us. It is for two people, is it not?"

As Richard assented, Georgie climbed up beside her, and they both preened and stared haughtily over the horse at an imaginary adoring crowd. Somehow, Anne and Georgie squeezed together enough for Louisa to sit with them, and the gentlemen swore up and down that three more marvelous models of fashion and beauty would be hard to find. Caroline gave up on Darcy, and returned to the drawing room.

Eventually, normal noise levels recurred after Robinson finished directing the unloading of Darcy's coach, and it drove off to the stables while the efficient valet and footmen carried everything inside. A stable boy was waiting for the phaeton, but Hurst asked Anne if he could have the privilege of taking it around, and he happily drove off on a new, much longer route through the grounds to the stables. Upon gaining the entrance hall, Richard and Darcy excused themselves, saying they had taken turns driving, and they were plainly covered with road dirt and needed to bathe. The women decided that their priority was deciding on the gowns that would be best set off by the blue shades of that darling little phaeton and the golden-red horse. The problem was, how to dress for outdoor games, at the same time as impressing the neighbours with the finery of phaeton riding, because the two pastimes were fairly incompatible.

Sipping their port and blowing cigar smoke after dinner, the men eased into informal slumped positions in their chairs; Richard going so far as to drag up a small, hard chair on which to place his feet. Darcy, his head back, but smiling with his eyes half-closed and glinting, said, "You look like you are ready to burst, Bingley. You did go ahead and ask her, did you not? Or did you send me on a fool's errand?"

Bingley's hazel eyes were beaming while his smile must have come close to splitting his lips.

Hurst straightened with a grin, but grumbled, "Good for you! About damn time, if you ask me!"

Richard just sighed, "Another fine man, gone from our ranks, forever. Although, I must say, you are a lucky man – good nature and good sense in a most beautiful package. I wish you much joy, Bingley."

Darcy asked, "Why is there no celebration, and where is Miss Bennet?"

It was Bingley's turn to glow, and gloat, "I asked this afternoon, and she said yes. I went in quietly to ask Mr. Bennet, and he also said yes, but he asked the favor of breaking the news to the family late this evening, and we will make the general announcement tomorrow at the picnic. Jane and I agreed to that, and I stayed at Longbourn walking around with Jane – is that not a nice name – Jane and Miss Elizabeth until late in the afternoon. Miss Elizabeth said our faces would give the story away if we went inside, so we stayed in the garden." He stopped and stared dreamily at nothing for a minute, then asked, "Darce, did you get my package from the jeweler?"

Darcy pulled a small flat box out of his topcoat and tossed it to Bingley, who yelped, "Be careful!"

"Charles, I know you went to the university, because I was there with you. For heaven's sake, you cannot break a sapphire, except with a diamond, and even then probably not."

Bingley ignored him and opened the box as Richard and Hurst sat up to look at the contents, which turned out to be a set of earrings and a pendant made of star sapphires,. "The exact color of Jane's eyes," he said dreamily.

Brandy and a second cigar all around were called for to note the momentous occasion, and although they merited some suspicious looks when they rejoined the ladies, nothing was said.

Richard and Darcy were tired enough that even the coffee and cake could not stop their yawns, and everyone retired early, expecting a long day tomorrow. As a nice change, Darcy slept soundly, but Bingley – Ah! He lay there imagining all kinds of marvelous and wonderful actions which would soon keep him awake in that same bed where he was awake – but alone - for now.

CHAPTER 12

Posted on December 29, 2009

NETHERFIELD Saturday

Looking around his lawn, which resembled a giant kaleidoscope of moving coloured pieces, Charles Bingley was a happy and contented man. To his right, a short distance away, his Jane – now officially his betrothed – was showing off a hitherto unknown nimbleness and quickness of movement in a hotly contested game of battledore and shuttlecock with three other young ladies. The usually shy Georgiana, and the even shier Maria Lucas, of all people, were exclaiming that Jane's prowess must be due to her betrothal, and therefore, she must break the engagement for the rest of the afternoon in order for the games to be fair to the other ladies playing with her. Jane laughingly denied the charge on the grounds all is fair in love and shuttlecock.

A bit further off on the right, Bingley could see some light flirtations being carried on during the games of lawn quoits, where a group of winsome young ladies was soundly defeating a contingent of stalwart young officers who were supposed to be the pride and protection of England. Tossing the ring, the ladies would bend forward in their low-necked gowns, and even from his distant vantage, Bingley had no doubt that the view was -- nice. Given that none of the soldiers had protested, and that the group was outdoors in full company, no reputations could be damaged. Bingley grinned, sympathetically aware that he would not fare well trying to watch Jane and oppose her at the same time.

Under a tree, a circle had been formed to witness the hopeful challengers to Hurst's formidable talents and unerring eye at table skittles. The occasional shouts of triumph when his brother was defeated were few and far between, and Bingley could only hope that the wagers stayed low.

At the end of the lawn, Fitzwilliam was demonstrating the sport of golf with some extra clubs and balls which Darcy had brought from London. Mr. Bennet and Mr. Goulding appeared very interested, and Bingley watched, amused, as his future father followed Fitzwilliam's instructions on stance and the positioning of the club. Sir William Lucas started clapping, but stopped abruptly in response to an apparent glower from Mr. Bennet – it was really too far to see expressions, but their actions were easily read. They might want to consider careers as mimes at this rate!

Some of the more foolish officers and neighbours had chosen to compete with Darcy's skill wielding a cricket bat. Ah well! They would soon learn that the best way to play cricket with his good friend was to be on the team with him – never, never, opposing him. A small throng of ladies was nearby, watching and providing cheers and applause for good hits. Yes, he could see Miss Elizabeth was among them.

Anne had her phaeton out and was treating people to short rides around the grounds. Really, how had Richard come by that neat little mare? If it had been from Tattersall's, word would have gotten out, and neither he nor his brother had heard a whisper.

In the shade of a centrally located canopy, chairs, tables and benches were in place for those who wished to remain bystanders, or to rest for a short while. Some of the older ladies were watching the young ladies and speculating on future matches with various gentlemen. Tables, complete with attending servants, held drinks and snacks, while inside the house, card tables had been set up for those inveterates who wished to play a quiet – though sometimes quite fierce - game away from the noisy, breezy lawn area.

Bingley's sister Caroline might be troublesome to live with, but he could not deny that she was capable of organizing social affairs with the best of the town hostesses. If only she would get over her obsession! Bingley knew that it was Pemberley – not Darcy, but Pemberley – which she really desired. It was a shame, he thought, because there could be no shortage of hard up gentlemen or up and coming political aspirants, who would be eager to marry someone with her social skills, let alone her dowry. While Caroline was not pretty, her features were pleasant enough to look upon -when she was not frowning, anyway. Well, Darcy probably would not be a single man much longer, and being her brother, Bingley would have to keep her prospects in mind for the time when Caroline recovered from her tantrum. Come to think of it, tantrum was a mild word for what would happen.

Enough gloomy thoughts. It was a spectacular day - not too hot, not too cold, with a gentle cooling breeze, puffy white clouds, and no sign of rain. Now, what should he do to have fun? Try and out-bat Darce? Hit a ball with a long bent stick? Not for him. Bingley knew that if he was going to be defeated, the only palatable way would be to enjoy the distraction caused by looking at his lovely Jane! Such a loss could never be considered defeat, because watching her and knowing she belonged to him would always be a victory! Bingley quickly realized, though, that watching as Jane's virtually translucent summer gown was molded against her shapely legs by a magical combination of movement and breeze – well, maybe he had better stop watching her before he was not fit to be seen in public.

"Anne, this is amazing – this sensation is beyond anything I have ever experienced before. Now, I know why people gallop over the countryside, jumping fences and racing across fields." Lizzy marveled as the world whizzed past her.

Anne slowly drew the horse back to a trot and asked, "Is there a spot wide enough to turn around coming soon?"

"At that turn up ahead, a lane comes in from the left which should do fine. Anne, this is… almost as I imagine flying might be! We have only the farm horses, which can double for the carriage, and my father has old Nelly, who Jane sometimes also uses, but this… I have ridden in coaches and farm carts of course, but they did not prepare me for the feeling of rushing through the air like this!" Lizzy's eyes were sparkling in her excitement.

Anne laughed. "When we trotted down the drive and I saw the look on your face, turning onto the road to let this precious animal show off her speed was irresistible. My horse at Rosings came nowhere close to being as good as this one, but even so I had found several lonely spots where no one would see me racing fast and report it to my mother."

"Well, if you plan to race here in Hertfordshire, please, please, come to fetch me. I know of several places where there is little traffic, just an occasional cart or so, and no one would care anyway, even if they did see us. There is the lane, just there," Lizzy pointed. "I hope that is enough room for you to turn."

"Oh yes, plenty of room to turn this beauty around." Anne quickly had them trotting back to Netherfield. "We need to think of a name for her. Richard said that the previous owner just called her Little Bess, because her mother was named Bess, but I am sure that we can do better. Georgie has suggested numerous fanciful appellations, but I want something succinct and apt – not 'red' or 'goldie!'"

"You are fairly near to the mark when you use the words precious and beauty," Lizzy teased.

Anne made a face at her and complained, "You are no more help than Georgie."

Companionably they made their way back to the gathering, and Anne was able to take a few more riders around the grounds before the still nameless precious beauty was led back to the stables for a well deserved rest.

Darcy made his way to the canopy for a respite from his sporting endeavors. After being provided with a mug of frothy ale and a plate of fruit and cheese, he looked around and went to sit in an empty chair beside Anne, who was talking with Mrs. Bennet. Or to be more accurate, Mrs. Bennet was excitedly gushing about the engagement of her eldest daughter to their generous host, with the same goal she had previously pursued at the disastrous ball last November.

"…and my girls can visit them at Mr. Bingley's townhouse, which will put them in the way of meeting, and of course marrying, other rich men. I will keep Mary here until last because she is so quiet, with nothing to offer except her dull concertos and her moralistic homilies. Lizzy might do fairly well in London, if only she would stop being so impertinent and so independent in her ways. No man wants a wife who rattles on about books, politics, and art, or who is forever tramping through the countryside. She needs to do as Lydia and Kitty do, attract men's admiration by leaning forward across the table, or clinging to a gentleman's arm and admiring his strength. Now they know exactly how to enchant and entice a man with their looks and flirting ways, first gaining a man's interest, and then complimenting him by agreeing with what he says and does. Mark my words, my youngest two will have no trouble at all finding husbands, once they set foot in the first circles." Mrs. Bennet was positive in her opinions, and Darcy saw Anne barely suppress a roll of her eyes.

At that moment, a commotion made all eyes turn to a group boisterously moving across the lawn towards the canopy. Lydia was laughing loudly and swinging one of the cricket bats, periodically taking aim at one of the three or four young men chasing her, then, running on for a few more yards. Darcy, who knew personally just how painful a blow from the solid wood bat could be, hastily stood to go interfere, but Anne stood just as quickly, grabbing and clinging to his arm with both of her hands.

"Let me go!" he growled. "Someone will be hurt!"

"No!" she hissed, equally quietly so Mrs. Bennet would not overhear. "Let Mr. Bingley or Richard or anyone else be there. Anybody except you. Sit down, right now! Maybe she will not have seen you standing here, and you can avoid saying anything about it by claiming ignorance of what happened. She will be embarrassed enough without your presence" Anne jerked down on his arm to make him sit.

Darcy sat, but only because she had him off balance, and he spat at her quietly, "Did that damn military fool blab my life story out to all of the family?"

"Well, maybe a few of us. But it was not as if I did not know anyway; I only had to look at you watching her like a lovesick cow – er, bull - at Rosings to know what was going on. I swear, Darce, I am helping you, not hurting your cause. There! See now, they did not need the great Master of Pemberley to resolve the situation. You are not indispensable." Anne did her best to soothe him as Lydia came to an abrupt halt.

Indeed, an irate Jane was standing before Lydia, and fisted hands on hips, was quietly rebuking her while Bingley cautiously retrieved the bat. Elizabeth arrived to stand beside Jane, arms crossed and lips set in a thin line, while Kitty came to stand defiantly with an arm around Lydia's shoulders. Mr. Bennet stood off a little ways, arms crossed, with one hand holding his chin, while he smirked at the unfolding spectacle. Then Mrs. Bennet barrelled into the scene, scolding Jane for daring to stop Lydia from enjoying herself and having a good time with the young men, and declaring that just because Jane had nabbed a rich man, did not mean that Lydia should be kept from getting one for herself.

Darcy sighed, turned back around, picked up his mug and drank the rest of the ale. Glancing up to see the Bennet family still engaged in their public exhibition, he turned to have his tankard refilled, and came back to slump in the chair beside Anne. He tsk, tsked, sighed again, and picked a couple of grapes from his plate to chew on.

Anne rubbed his upper arm sympathetically, "I know, but in some ways, it is an improvement over the way my mother carries on. For all of her apparent rudeness, Mrs. Bennet does care about the future of her daughters, and does not want them to become destitute when her husband dies. Imagine my mother in her place."

Darcy just grunted, and picked up another grape to chew on. "She will never attain the so-called first circles at this rate, no matter how long that hoyden, Miss Lydia, stays with the Bingleys. If she is permitted to continue acting in that manner, Bingley and his family will be snubbed by everyone except me."

"Calm down, Darce. First, you can already see that Jane and Bingley will not permit such behaviour under their roof. But more to the point, you are being too hard on Mrs. Bennet. She has lived in a small village all of her life. The only notion she has of town is from occasional short visits with her brother, periodic shopping trips, and the little bit she bothers to read in the papers and fashion journals. Based on that rather limited knowledge, and her own fears regarding her daughters' future, she has imagined how she thinks girls must act to get husbands in the high life of the ton." Anne blew out a frustrated breath and settled herself more comfortably. "She is partially correct, and you know it, but she does not know – has no way to know - the high priority placed on good manners in London. For that matter, you are the only person she knows from the first circles, and from what I have heard, you have seldom demonstrated good breeding, at least until recently. Despite the aspirations of his sisters, even Mr. Bingley does not qualify in society as you do, and think about what the Bingley sisters' conduct shows her, plus what they tell her about their position in town. Rather than being put off, I suggest that you just sit here and be lost in wonder that Jane, Elizabeth, and apparently Mary have managed to become genteel young ladies and models of propriety. There, the lecture is over, everyone is coming back." Anne's reprimand softened at the end.

Darcy glared at his cousin for a moment, ignoring her pointedly raised eyebrows, then stood up to return his plate to the attendant at the table. Anne watched him as he glumly strolled away, taking a sip from his tankard now and then, then shook her head and went to find Lizzy, knowing her friend might be in need of undemanding company right now. If there was one thing Anne knew how to be, it was undemanding.

Seeking Lizzy in the crowd, Anne was hailed by Richard. "Ho there, Little Annie! Did you wear out Little Bess already? You had better not frown at me like that, young lady, or I will take her back," he grinned, causing Anne's insides to flutter for an unknown reason. "What in the world happened here," he continued, unaware. "I could see the throng of people gathered, but not who was fighting. A couple of these young officers get jealous over the same young lady?"

"Nothing so exciting as a demonstration of fisticuffs, Richard." Anne was proud to keep her voice level. (What in the world had she eaten to upset her?) "Such a fray might have been preferable, though, because I have never seen such a thing, only heard about it. No, it…"

She was interrupted when he leaned forward and whispered, "I will take you to a match someday."

Anne's face lit up in surprise and delight, her flutters forgotten. "Really? You promise? Very well, I will hold you to it. In the meantime…" She related what had taken place, ending with, "I am looking for Lizzy now, just so she has someone to be with."

Richard nodded understandingly. "I will grab a tankard of ale before my throat dries up completely, and then go hunt down our judgmental cousin. Why not try for all of us to eventually wind up playing quoits? Or we can go find out how badly we can fare playing skittles against Hurst." He continued on his way after she nodded.

It took a few minutes, but Anne spotted Lizzy, sitting with a cup of tea by herself, so she went to join her, but first she armed herself with a bowl of strawberries sprinkled with sugar. She sat beside Lizzy, and holding the bowl towards her friend's face, commanded, "Have one."

Lizzy said nothing. She just shook her head, and continued staring straight ahead.

Undeterred, Anne brought the bowl back, and knowing Lizzy could see her, looked at it carefully, selected the most succulent looking strawberry, put it in her mouth, groaned in mock ecstasy as she chewed, licked the sugar off of her fingers, and said, "That is not how it is done in town!" She shoved the bowl back towards Lizzy's face. She received a dark-eyed glare, but a hand came up, chose a berry, and her friend mimicked her actions, down to the suggestive moaning. And so it went, turn and turn about, without a word being said, until the bowl was empty.

Lizzy smiled. "Thank you!"

"You are most welcome. There are a couple of helpless men who need skilful female partners to play quoits, and I was sent to fetch you. Come on, we need to go join them." Anne stood, held out her hand, and when Lizzy hesitated, added, "I am not above bribing people by promising rides around the countryside."

That pert remark earned a bigger smile, and off they went to have a good time.

Richard had finally discovered his cousin standing near the steps to the house, gazing blankly at the people moving around the lawn. "There you are, Darce! Anne sent me to bring you along for a few games of quoits with her and Miss Elizabeth."

"All right, in just a minute," Darcy replied.

"No sense waiting, Cuz! Anne told me what happened, and it is over now. No cause for concern. Let us be on our way." Richard urged him on, not liking the look on his face.

"It is just that Anne said something to me I had never thought of… and I have had an idea," Darcy's voice trailed off.

Richard's eyes grew round, and he said, almost in horror, "No, you do not! Not today! Twice, or is it three times, in the past few weeks you have had an idea, and each time it has caused a lot of trouble. Whatever it is, it can wait. Today is for fun, and for a good time. Stop having ideas, and come with me. I am a colonel, and you had better obey, because there are other soldiers here, and I will enlist them to help." Without further ado, he grabbed Darcy's arm and came close to jerking him off of his feet before the two of them headed off to enjoy themselves with the two waiting ladies.

LONGBOURN Sunday Afternoon

"What an unexpected treat!" Lizzy exclaimed as she stepped up into the phaeton. She waved to Jane, Mary, and Georgie standing in the portico, as Anne started down the drive.

"I did not think you would turn me down," Anne grinned. "And since Georgie had promised Mary help with a Mozart fantasy in some alphabet letter, I volunteered my services."

"Mary was almost in raptures last night, knowing she was finally going to get some help on this piece. She surpassed the technical proficiency of everyone in the area long ago, and sometimes becomes quite frustrated trying to learn everything on her own. Where Lydia and Kitty spend every last penny on ribbons and hats and such, Mary saves her money and gives it to Aunt Gardiner to buy music or new books of sermons for her in London. I can not say much for the sermons, but I contribute toward the music because I also enjoy learning new pieces, though I play only the easier ones," Lizzy said, then added, "Do you know where you wish to go, or should I direct you?"

"No need for directions. If you say this section of road is all right, we will run for a while, then trot back." At Lizzy's nod, she added, "I have two messages to impart to you. Aha! Curious, are you? Well, you will have to wait!" With that, she flicked the reins and they were off, Lizzy holding onto her bonnet, which had not been fastened in preparation for racing with the wind in her face.

"Oh, that was grand!" Anne exclaimed breathlessly as she slowed to a trot. "I can see the crossroad, and I will turn there, so we can head back."

"Riding and racing is like having a piece of chocolate hidden away to nibble on, and not sharing it with anyone," Lizzy giggled.

"I did not realize you were such a selfish creature," Anne declared. "I thought I was the only one who would do such a reprehensible thing!" Chuckling together, they turned back to Longbourn, as she added casually, "Mr. Bingley will be visiting Longbourn shortly to see Jane, and he asked that if you and Jane walked out with him, you could arrange to leave them completely alone for a few minutes?"

Catching Lizzy's inquiring glance, she continued, "I think - no, I am positive - that he has a gift for your sister, because I asked what it was and he frowned forbiddingly. Mr. Bingley frowning like my cousin, if you can believe it! I did not fare any better asking my cousins, either. I pleaded my case with Mr. Hurst, but he told me to consider a career in court pleading for mercy for the criminals."

"Of course I will help Mr. Bingley!" Lizzy promised. "What is the second message?"

"This one is a little strange, and Darcy said to tell you because he may not be able to visit with Mr. Bingley this afternoon. His courier arrived with a towering stack of mail this morning, and on top of that, he and Richard have been shut up in his room arguing since we returned home from church. But he said to tell you that he was going out tomorrow morning looking for bonnets to catch. If you know what he is talking about, you really must explain it to me, or I shall take you miles away and leave you stranded to walk home alone!" Anne threatened.

Laughing and blushing a little, Lizzy replied, "I walked to a certain hill one morning, and had removed my bonnet. When he came upon me and I attempted to replace it on my head, the wind whipped it away, and I was certain that I had lost it for good. Mr. Darcy caught it and returned it to me. That is it – the whole story. Now it is my turn: what were he and the Colonel arguing about?"

"I have no idea. But I did hear Richard say that it was none of Darce's business. And Darce replied that maybe it soon would be, and he might as well see what happened now as later, when it really mattered. Then one of the maids came down the hallway and I heard no more."

At Lizzy's raised brows and pursed lips, she added, "Georgie was with me. Perhaps we were standing a bit close to the door."

Lizzy's expression did not change and there was another, longer, pause, then grudgingly she conceded. "All right. Our ears were against his sitting room door, but that was all we had a chance to hear." She brought the phaeton to a halt. "I will come in for a while, but I do want to be back at Netherfield in time to say goodbye to Richard. Ah! Here is your stable boy so I may hand my darling over." Stepping down, she handed the lad the reins and waited for Lizzy.

"You have not thought of a name yet?"

"No, and I will not descend to Little Bess, Goldie, or Red," Anne averred.

"How about Young Bess, and you can say it is in honour of Queen Elizabeth? She was supposed to have had red hair, if I remember my history." Lizzy offered.

There was a moment's pause, then with a wicked gleam in her eyes, Anne leaned close and whispered, "Or honouring the same royalty, I could name her The Virgin Queen. Just think of the scandal!" Anne swept into the house, relishing the sight of a shocked Lizzy standing in the doorway, mouth agape.

Sunday Evening

"Oh Jane! You are beautiful; they are beautiful!" Lizzy sighed as she finished fastening Jane's new pendant. No one else in the family was aware of the gift yet, and the two sisters had come upstairs so Jane could change out of the green gown she had been wearing. "The blue of the sapphires matches your eyes, and the flowers embroidered in this muslin. Your Mr. Bingley certainly knows what suits you!" she grinned.

"Just being by his side makes me so happy; I do not need anything else," Jane whispered, then she took a deep breath. "Are you ready to go down and let Mama see it?"

Lizzy wrinkled her nose as if lost in thought. "Maybe I can just stay up here until everything is quiet again?" Upon receiving a stern look, she sighed in resignation. "No? All right, but only because it is you. I would let any other believer go down and face the lions in the arena alone." And she followed slowly as Jane fearlessly led the way to the drawing room.

As they entered, Mr. Bingley stood, and Mrs. Bennet looked up.

"Jane, why have you changed your gown again? Had you spilled something on the other one?" she asked. Then her eyes widened and her voice rose. "Oh! Oh, my! Come here, my dear and let me see! How beautiful! I have never seen one of these stones before! Mr. Bingley, you are so generous! And so thoughtful! Oh my! I am just a-flutter. I had better sit down before I need my salts."

The other three Bennet girls came over to look, and after peering closer, Lydia said, "I wager that will go perfectly with my new pink gown. You must let me wear it into town tomorrow and shop for ribbons to match."

"I would rather not have anyone else wear this, ever." Jane stated.

"I only want to borrow them, not keep them. I will let you have them back after I show them off to the officers and all of the neighbors." Lydia said,

An unusually resolute Jane said, "No, Lydia. This set of jewelry is a gift to me from the man I am going to marry, and I do not want to lend it to anyone."

Lydia raised her voice with indignation, "I will not hurt them. You never do anything I ask you to.
Just because you are the oldest, you think you can make the rules. Mama, make her give them to me to wear in town tomorrow!"

Mrs. Bennet announced, "Jane, you are being selfish. You must share with your youngest sister."

At this point, Mr. Bingley loudly cleared his throat and said flatly, "Miss Lydia, the jewellery is a gift for Jane alone. I do not wish for anyone else to wear it, and I would not like to have to return it because it had been worn by another person besides Jane."

"Well…" Mrs. Bennet sputtered, not sure what to say, "Lydia, perhaps you had better sit down."

Shooting Mr. Bingley a dark glance, Lydia flounced back over to her chair to sit with her arms crossed, pouting and glaring at everyone. Kitty silently followed her, minus the pout and glare.

Mary said softly, "Jane, it is a little hard for me to see the details of the stone. Would you mind bending forward a little towards the light?" When Jane complied, Mary smiled up at her sister. "How lovely! Mr. Bingley, you must have carried a cloth the colour of Jane's eyes with you to have matched them so perfectly. It is hard to tell which one of you two deserves the other more."

Jane's eyes glistened as she leaned forward to kiss Mary on the cheek. "Thank you, that was the perfect thing to say, and it was wonderful to hear you say it."

Lizzy, still restraining herself from grabbing the fireplace poker to beat some sense into Lydia, gently guided Mary to the loveseat. Together, they filled the echoing silence of the room with questions and answers about her practice session earlier that day with Georgiana, and the progress being made with the Mozart composition.

Mr. Bingley did not linger, but left immediately after dinner, which had been a sombre affair with little conversation. Mr. Bennet was quite surprised when his compliments to Jane on her new necklace and earrings were greeted by frowns from almost everyone, including his wife. Perhaps Mrs. Bennet was coming down with a cold.

Monday Morning

Chewing a bite of one of Polly's fruit filled pastries, Lizzy hesitated at the end of the drive for a moment or two. She still was not in the best of spirits after Lydia's behaviour the previous night, but she thought that perhaps chatting with Mr. Darcy would cheer her up, so she turned and walked toward the hillock where he had hinted to Anne that he would be. She recalled how she had skipped along this same lane a mere week ago; now at this moment she still wanted to skip along, but clear to London to stay with the Gardiners – or anywhere, as long as it was far away from her family. Except Jane, of course, and Mary, whose perceptiveness, tact, and kindness had astounded her last night. She could only hope that Mr. Bingley insisted on a short engagement. If there were more displays like those he had witnessed on Saturday afternoon and last night, he might flee and never return. Perhaps Mr. Hurst could be convinced to speak to Lydia more often? She smiled and scolded herself, "Enough you fool! Everyone is the same as they have always been, except older, and youth can no longer be an excuse. Jane, at least, will be able to escape soon. Live with it."

She arrived at the hillock, but not seeing Mr. Darcy, climbed up to the rocks on top and, uncaring, loosened her bonnet – a mild breach of propriety in comparison to some others she had recently witnessed. It was a pleasant morning, a bit nippy, but the clear sky overhead promised warmth soon to come. There was a long bank of low dark clouds on the southern horizon, but although the fields could use some rain, she hoped that it was not one of those two- or three-day storms. Ah, she could see a rider coming, and while the horse might be Galahad, the glare of the sun prevented her from being sure. There, now she could see, it was indeed the gallant knight - the horse, not the rider, although, come to think of it – Stop it Lizzy! – enough of that train of thought.

Darcy found a patch of grass with a nearby bush to tether Galahad, and with his long legs, made fast work of the slope. "Good morning, Miss Elizabeth! No hat? I am surprised and delighted to be able to see your lovely countenance brightened by the exercise, and the sun shining in your hair,."

"Mr. Darcy, you certainly know how to flatter a lady. Please, do not tell me that your cousin is giving you lessons," she teased.

"I thought women loved Fitzwilliam's compliments?" he queried, surprised.

"Well, yes, we do, but… It is hard to explain, especially to a man, because while most of us know that the Colonel would not tell a blatant untruth, we also know that deep down, he is not sincere from the bottom of his heart. Speaking with him is enjoyable. I am aware that his mild flirtation is exactly that, no more but no less, and with his position and family, it eases his way through life." Lizzy hesitated, but kept on, her face reddening. "When you give a compliment, you mean it; the recipient does not feel as if you are merely being glib."

He glanced at her appreciatively. "I had always wondered why women laughed and enjoyed his company, but so few seemed to take him seriously." His face grew thoughtful as he continued. "I have noticed that he tends to avoid those ladies who do take him seriously."

"I will not make further comments about my fellow females, lest I give away more secrets," she smiled. "Anne intimated yesterday that you wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes, I do. Bingley will be visiting Longbourn later to invite Miss Bennet and the rest of your sisters to accompany him into Meryton for treats at the confectioner's shop. Anne and I will arrive shortly after they leave, and if you are agreeable, we would like to speak with you and your mother alone for a short time." He watched, surprised as her face fell and her shoulders slumped.

"Did you talk to Mr. Bingley last night after he got home?" she asked dejectedly.

"No, Fitzwilliam had left, and I was trying to catch up on some paperwork. I believe that Bingley went straight to his room - probably to dream about your sister," Darcy replied, puzzled.

"He may dream about Jane, but the rest of her family must be causing him to have nightmares," She sighed.

"Something has evidently upset you. Can you…will you tell me what happened, please?" he asked softly, and he reached over to – oh so gently - pick up her hand and hold it.

At the gesture, she hesitated, fearing to look at him. "It can be summed up in two, - no - four words – Mama, Lydia, embarrassing scene. Another one." Her eyes stayed looking down, and oddly enough, the only thing she could think of was - why did men not have to always wear gloves as women did? His hand was so big and brown, and looked so strong, and was so comforting and warm as her hand nestled within it.

"Then it is all the more important for me to come. You look very tired. I imagine from your obvious distress, that you did not sleep much last night?" Darcy made that last a gentle inquiry.

"Very little. Both Jane and I tossed and turned a good portion of the night."

Darcy stood and reached for her hand to pull her up beside him, smiling widely and showing the dimples she could not resist. "Come, you are going home, and I am going to solve things for you this afternoon." When she opened he mouth, he said, "Shush! I am not going to tell you how I am going to do it – you just have to trust me. Have I ever lied to you?" She shook her head. "Of course not! Now, trust me to do the correct thing so this will not happen again." Leading her gently, but somehow compellingly, they went down to Galahad, whereupon he placed both hands on her waist and lifted her to sit sideways on the saddle. "You hold on and I will lead him." Darcy ordered.

"But, what…wait…Mr. Darcy, this is impossible!"

He turned his head and grinned at her. "What is impossible? You sitting on my horse? It seems to me that you are. Me leading the horse? I need to, or he might wander to Lucas Lodge, and think of the gossip that would follow. What would really be nice, though, is if you would sing us a song as we wend our way back."

She stared as he turned to lead the horse again. In a moment or two, she astonished him with a currently popular, slightly ribald song from a London revue.

When Longbourn was just out of sight, he stopped Galahad and lifted her down. (My, what he would have given to keep holding her!) "I told you I would fix things," he reminded her, "and I will. In case you have forgotten, I am the Master of Pemberley, the dreaded ogre who smites people with his black scowl!" Her slight giggle rewarded his deepest frown, and his eyes twinkled in response. "You go inside, have some breakfast, then take Miss Bennet and go upstairs to sleep. Those are my orders for today, Miss Elizabeth. This afternoon, Bingley, Anne, Georgie and I will be here, and we will make everything right. Trust me, please?"

Lizzy could only stare at him wide-eyed, - he held his breath lest she protest - but finally she smiled at him and nodded firmly. He smiled back, his heart in his eyes, and leaning down, gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," he breathed. Then gently grasping her shoulders, he turned her towards the gate. "Everything will be all right. I promise." He gave her the tiniest of shoves forward.

Stunned, she walked towards the house, turning once to glance back when she reached the gate. Then she strode firmly toward the house, determined to do exactly as she had been told.

Monday Afternoon

Hoping Anne and Darcy would not take too long to arrive, Lizzy was asking her mother about the latest gossip coming from Meryton. It had not taken many minutes for Mr. Bingley to convince her sisters that although the carriage would be a mite crowded, a trip to the confectioner's for special treats was needed to make his day complete. Georgie persuaded Mary to go along by saying she needed Mary's advice on the andante from Beethoven's Pastoral Sonata, which she had seen in Mary's store of music.

To Lizzy's relief, Mrs. Hill announced the new arrivals in just a few minutes; it only remained for her to worry – and fear – what was going to happen next. To her amazement she did trust Darcy, but she had lived all of her life with her mother's highly strung nerves and outbursts, and she was not sure that her own emotions could withstand another embarrassing scene.

Lizzy rose to welcome her guests, and asked them to be seated. Anne gave her a hug, and keeping an arm around her shoulders and making small talk, she steered Lizzy to the love seat, a few feet from her mother.

Mrs. Bennet gave a small start when Darcy sat opposite her. She appeared more than a little surprised when he complimented her looks and inquired after her health, and her voice was a bit hesitant when she replied, "Thank you, I am well today." Mrs. Bennet's voice gained strength and her more usual petulant tone as she continued pointedly, "Mr. Bingley is taking your sister and all of my other girls into Meryton for a treat. Lizzy claimed the carriage would be much too crowded with seven people and said they should bring something back for her. Since Mr. Bingley is such a fine gentleman, I know he will do just that. He would never disappoint or ignore other people, I am sure."

Darcy smiled and nodded. "You are quite correct in your assessment, Mrs. Bennet. He has been my friend for quite a few years now, and I can attest to the truth of what you are saying." He paused, and still wearing a small smile, asked, "Mrs. Bennet, may I ask whether anyone of your acquaintance is accepted as a member of the first circles of the ton? By that I mean that they have vouchers to attend the dances at Almack's, are usually invited to the top balls, soirees, and dinners, and, if they issue invitations for dinner or a dance, attendance is virtually mandatory?"

"I am not sure, but 'The first circles,'" she repeated, visibly wondering whether or not to be affronted by such a question from Mr. Darcy. "Sir William Lucas has been presented at St. James, and I am sure that the Bingley family qualifies, do they not?"

His face a little sad, Darcy responded gently, "No, I am afraid that the Bingleys do not. Remember that Mr. Bingley's father was a tradesman, so he will never be considered above the second circle at the most. It may be that if he purchases an estate and marries a gentlewoman, and if their behaviour is invariably above reproach, his children or grandchildren may be accepted. I say this with great sorrow because he and I will always be friends, and my family welcomes him, but it is the way of our society. And Sir William, as good a man as he is, remains a country squire as you no doubt know."

"Oh, that is most disappointing!" Mrs. Bennet was crestfallen. "I had such hopes that Mr. Bingley would be able to introduce the younger girls into the first circles; still, the second is far better than they can hope for in Hertfordshire." Her brow knit in thought.

Darcy smiled again. "As I think on it, I realize that in fact, you do know two members of the first circles who are welcome at Almack's, who are invited to most social functions, and whose personal or family's invitations to dine and dance are most sought after and rarely turned down."

Her eyes lit up again. "Oh? Who would… of course! You and your cousin, Mr. Darcy! I had not thought about that at all. You could invite my girls to.…" Mrs. Bennet's countenance changed rapidly as her thoughts darted from here to there and back again.

"There is one problem with that, however, and it is a serious one indeed," he stated, still maintaining his smile. (He was not sure if he could keep it pasted to his face, but a quick glance at Elizabeth, whose eyes were shining with hope, and trust, made him determined..)

Mrs. Bennet's face fell with dismay. "A serious problem? What kind of serious problem?" Her voice was shrill by the time she uttered the last word.

"The problem may be serious, but I believe that there may be a simple solution." He waited for her face to regain interest and hope. "Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth would be welcome at our homes, just as Miss Elizabeth was welcome at Rosings. Miss Mary is polite and correct in her manners, but she does need to acquire some knowledge of topics other than sermons and moral principles. Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia, however, if they continue in the same type of behaviour they now exhibit, would never be welcome at any of the social functions of even the second or third circles. Mrs. Bennet, I regret to tell you this, but before they will be accepted by the ton, your two youngest girls need to attend a school where young ladies learn how to conduct themselves appropriately. I can help you in selecting such a school, because I investigated several before I chose one for Georgiana. Would you consider accepting my help in solving this problem for your youngest daughters? I know how much you want the best for them."

His quiet soothing voice and dark eyes had almost hypnotized Mrs. Bennet, and she gazed at him for several moments, then nodded firmly before asking, "Oh, I do so want that for them. Would you? Would you help? How long do you think it would take?" And then words started to tumble out without stopping, "It would cost a lot, but it would be worth it for them to be put in the path of other rich men. I am sure that with Jane gone there would be some extra money, and they could make do with fewer new gowns and bonnets for a while. Once they are through with school and can go to London, I am sure they will catch husbands very quickly. Oh, Mr. Darcy! How wise and thoughtful you are to tell me this! I never even thought about you -- I would never have known they could have a problem. Just think, they could have been wasting their time in Hertfordshire forever. Oh, Mr. Darcy! I can never thank you enough! Oh, I must go talk to Mr. Bennet immediately and start making plans." Eyes bright and face alight, Mrs. Bennet stood and rushed from the room.

Lizzy looked on with widened eyes, Anne smirked and looked smug, while Darcy noisily blew out a breath, closed his eyes and leaned back. "Please G-d," he prayed, "do not give me any more ideas!"

They heard Mrs. Bennet knocking on the door of the book room calling loudly, "Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bennet! I must see you right this moment on a very important matter. There is not a moment to lose!"

After a few moments, Lizzy suggested, "It might be a good idea if we left for a walk or a ride before my father comes out here."

Anne smirked, "You and I can go for a ride, Lizzy, and leave Wills here. It is all his doing, and do not forget, he is bigger than your father."

Darcy stood, gave his tense shoulders a couple of small shrugs, and admitted, "I would not mind going for a walk. I do feel rather tense, and I would rather talk about something soothing, like the war in America, the latest negotiations with the French, or the nerve of that upstart Oxford University to try and put down Cambridge."

Lizzy rose also. "Yes, please, let us not dawdle. Perhaps we can meet the carriage on its way back. There is safety in numbers." She knew her father would probably just listen to her mother's talk and shoo her back to the drawing room, but she feared that he might stir himself to come out of his study. She did not think she could bear to be mortified by another member of her family, particularly her father and his hurtful sarcasm.

The trio set off towards Meryton with Anne making most of the conversation, but soon Lizzy responded to some teasing, and they both turned to tormenting Darcy about the superiority of female novelists over male.

Bingley's coachman spotted them as the company was returning to the house, and drew the carriage to a halt. Jane and Bingley descended to walk with them, handing out chocolate studded biscuits which they had brought from the confectionery. Georgie and Mary were still arguing about the merits of their own individual fingering for a Passacaglia by Handel, so they elected to proceed directly to the house to test, by actual use of the pianoforte, whose method was better.

By the time the group on foot reached Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet had tea waiting, which was welcome after all of the sweets. Lizzy noticed her mother looking intently at Kitty and Lydia, then glancing around the room at everyone else, particularly Georgiana and Mary, before looking back at the youngest Bennets. Perhaps her mother was considering the difference in the manners of the two sets of girls, and, Lizzy had to admit, that right at this time, there was not much difference.

Casting aside thoughts about her youngest daughters, Mrs. Bennet brought her mind to bear on what she hoped would be the most talked about Hertfordshire event for many years, "Mr. Bingley, I have determined that Jane's wedding would best be held sometime in mid-September. We would therefore, have time for careful planning, and the farewell parties and visits would not need to be rushed - another advantage of having the ceremony at the beginning of autumn."

Mr. Bingley was startled, but after a look at Jane's face, courageously replied, "I am afraid that is impossible, Mrs. Bennet. I received a letter from my uncle and he is demanding that I return to Scarborough for at least six months to help care for the family business. He said I must be there by the middle of July at the latest. It will take us a week to travel there, and I plan to have a two week bridal trip somewhere, hopefully near the sea, so we…" he cast a loving glance at Jane, "will need to be married between the tenth or twentieth of June to accommodate that schedule."

"The tenth or twentieth of June!" Mrs. Bennet shrieked, "Impossible! Why, the wedding gown, the church decorations, the wedding breakfast, the parties. All of these take time!" she wailed.

Darcy was surprised. Bingley had mentioned his uncle's letter at breakfast, but he had been grinning about the request and wagered that one month would take care of anything that needed doing. Laughing to himself, he started making his own plans for Bingley's June wedding.

Anne, who had also heard Bingley's comments on the letter, kept a straight face. Elizabeth could see Darcy and Anne holding in smiles, and wondered at their dancing eyes; something was not being said. The four younger girls were curious about what day would finally be chosen, and focused their attention on the discussion. Jane opted to say nothing, but she cast a loving smile at Bingley; it was clear to the company that all she wanted was to be married to her fiancée. (Jane also knew her mother's talents, and that with her inexorable determination to out-do the neighbours, four or five weeks would be plenty for a fancy wedding.)

"The menu for the wedding breakfast – oh my – " Mrs. Bennet was moaning. "That alone will take days to arrange. And then the flowers for the church - it just can not be done in a month. You must be married in September."

Bingley tried to explain, firmly. "But I will not be here in September to marry Jane. I will not return to Hertfordshire until January, and I do not want to wait that long to be married."

Mrs. Bennet finally abandoned her grand plans and unwillingly surrendered. "Well, in that case, I suppose it must be in June. Lizzy, go find a calendar, or better yet, get your father and have him bring one with him, so I can hurry and start to plan." Casting a baleful look at Mr. Bingley, she resigned herself to a rushed celebration, rather than the beauty and grandeur she had had in mind since before Jane's birth.

Lizzy had just reached the study door, when the Mrs. Hill came down the hall from the servants section in the rear. "Miss Lizzy, Mr. Bingley's coachman just came to the back entry, and said the sky was clouding over. The gentlemen might want to take a look outside, since the phaeton does not have any protection from rain."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hill. I will tell them directly, after I fetch my father. Please tell the coachman to wait there for a few minutes." She knocked on her father's door calling, "Papa!" and receiving an answer, opened it and said, "Papa, would you please bring a calendar to the drawing room so that a date can be set next month for Jane's wedding?"

Mr. Bennet's brows shot up, "Next month? Are you sure? I doubt your mother will agree with that!"

"Mr. Bingley has said he must leave in July for six months, and he will not wait until January to marry." She said this with a knowing smile and nod.

"Well, in that case I will come, if only to see how this little imbroglio works out. Maybe I can help by urging the wedding to take place in the next two weeks, instead of waiting a whole month. Our amiable Mr. Bingley is full of surprises." Mr. Bennet picked up the calendar out of his desk drawer and rose to follow Lizzy.

Returning to the drawing room, Lizzy went directly to Mr. Bingley and said softly, "The coachman came to the back entry and said you need to take a look at the sky."

Bingley glanced towards the window, rose immediately, moved to tap Darcy on the shoulder, and saying "Come with me," to him, and gesturing to Anne, the three of them, followed by Lizzy, went to stand in the forecourt. All were astounded by how quickly a chilly breeze, low scudding gray clouds, and a gray-blue sky had replaced the blue sky and white clouds.

"What do you think, Bingley, a half-hour, an hour at the outside?" asked Darcy

"It should be a half-hour, perhaps, with luck, an hour," he replied.

"I will go around to the stables to hurry and drive the phaeton, and I will have the carriage sent around front for you and the girls." Darcy stated, and turned.

"I will go with you!" Anne said firmly.

That statement brought Darcy to a halt, and directing a quelling look at his cousin, he declared, "No, you will not. How long do you think I would stay alive, if our family heard you became ill again because of my neglect. No matter where I went, Fitzwilliam would never cease hunting me. I swear, Annie, I will tie you to a chair if I have to. Bingley, Miss Elizabeth, hold her here. I am not fond of becoming wet either and need to leave now."

Lizzy quickly said, "Come with me through the house, the coachman is waiting at the back. It will not be as far to the stables."

Darcy grabbed Anne's hand and held it towards Bingley, "Here, I am depending on you to hold her."

Anne shook her head and rolled her eyes, resigned, "I will stay. I promise. But, I will get you for this, Darce, just you wait and see." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Darcy just grinned, "Little spitfire!" and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Still grinning, he turned to an astonished Lizzy, "Pay no attention. She has acted this way in private, since she was born. Now, please lead the way to the back."

They quickly reached the back door where the coachman was waiting. Before going out, Darcy looked at Lizzy earnestly, "I have to leave for London early Wednesday morning and will not return until late Friday or early Saturday. Weather permitting, I plan to watch the sunrise from the top of Oakham Mount tomorrow, or else on Saturday. I hope my efforts today will help you and your sisters. Goodbye, Miss Elizabeth." He tenderly took her hand from its hold on the door, and bowing slightly, placed a lingering kiss on it, before turning to rush to the stables.

Lizzy watched until he was out of sight, and went back to the drawing room, muttering dire threats under her breath to the powers controlling the weather about making the skies clear by nightfall. Anne and Georgie were in the front hall donning their spencers and hats again. Mary joined the group and they all went out front to wait for the carriage. Darcy came trotting by and everyone waved as he went down the drive, and after turning through the gates they heard Young Bess's (or The Virgin Queen's) trot turn into her running pace very quickly. Jane and Mr. Bingley soon joined them, with beaming smiles and shining eyes.

When the others turned and let their inquiring eyes and raised brows ask the question, Jane said simply, "Saturday, June twentieth."

The carriage came rattling around the corner, and while Georgie and Anne climbed in, Bingley directed the coachman, "It is not that far, you do not need to hold them back." With a last fervent look at Jane, he shut the door, then tried to keep her in sight as they drove off.

Just at the carriage was turning out of the gates, the sky flashed with light in the distance, though, thank goodness, in the opposite direction of Netherfield. They waited apprehensively, but the thunder was still just a low rumble quite far off. Everyone turned to go inside, knowing the rest of the day would be spent on wedding talk.

At the last minute, Lizzy decided to remain on the portico, and leaned against a pillar, watching the skies darken, the flashes of lightning get brighter, and hearing the thunder move closer. She knew, somehow, that the rain would last the rest of the day and night, and even if the storm stopped by noontime tomorrow, it would be too muddy to walk or drive anywhere. She chided herself – "Stupid girl, you were better off when you disliked him, because you dreaded the sight of him."

She took a deep breath and turned to go join her beloved Jane in planning the upcoming happy event, determined not to spread her gloom to her happy sister -- let Lydia do that!

CHAPTER 13

Posted on January 5, 2010

LONGBOURN Monday Evening

"But, Jane, you have to use red ribbon in the church that matches the officers coats, you simply must! It does not matter what Mr. Bingley prefers, it is your wedding!" Lydia's voice was strident.

"Lydia, I am marrying Mr. Bingley, not an officer. I agree with him on this and we shall have blue ribbons." Jane's voice was gentle but firm.

At the same time, causing a confusing babble of noise, other voices were also contributing to the argument: "Lydia, you can have red when you marry," from Lizzy; "Red would be different, but pretty," from Kitty; "The sanctity of marriage does not depend on ribbon colours," Mary, of course; "Well, red sounds very nice, but Mr. Bingley is the groom, after all," was Mrs. Bennet's opinion.

Shaking his head at the din of six females voices talking and arguing at the same time, Mr. Bennet watched his family take their places around the dinner table. He knew that with the many suggestions being bandied about, nothing would be decided about wedding menus, flowers, gowns, and other items so important to his wife, and yes, his daughters also, at least on this night. Looking at his family reflectively as the commotion continued around him, he found it difficult to comprehend that each child was so individually different from the others. Sadly, one of them would soon be gone, and if he was not mistaken, a second one would be following shortly thereafter. For now, they were focused on wedding plans, and though he had ignored them and their familiar uproar for so long, he felt an unusual need to fill his heart and mind with them while he could. He knew that in mere moments, the world as they all knew it would change radically. ("Ah, Thomas!" he thought, sardonically, "Still an observer of the human condition rather than a participant!")

First, of course, was Jane, with her mother's golden hair, skin colouring, and the shape of her eyes, but with a classic beauty all her own that elicited stares even from well bred strangers. Her outward appearance, though, paled in comparison to her goodness, serenity, dependability, and yes, even the little imp in her that she sometimes let loose, to the surprise and delight of those she trusted. How in the world she had managed to meet a man with similar virtues was beyond him, but it was plain to see that Mr. Bingley was perfect for her. He had no doubt that they would be very happy together, but, oh - he would miss her quiet steady presence. Most of all, however, he admitted to himself with an ironic quirk of his lips, he would miss her unmatched ability to calm his wife's nerves.

Next was Lizzy, his wonderful Lizzy, really the joy of his life. While not a beauty, her pretty features, rich dark brown hair, and particularly lively, fine dark eyes blended to create an unforgettable face. She had her mother's gaiety and vivacity, but combined those charms with wit, thoughtfulness, and evenness of temperament, which miraculously melded into an exceptional unity of charm and character. But if his eyes had not deceived him, he would soon be handing his favorite over to the formidable Mr. Darcy, who might lack a bit in openness, but made up for it in honor, intelligence, and dependability. Ah well; if he had to lose Elizabeth, at least he would be gaining a son with whom he could debate politics, history, philosophy and literature, and if the hearsay were accurate, he would also have access to one of the finest libraries in England.

His eyes turned toward Mary, the quiet, solemn, middle child, who had an uncanny ability to become invisible, even when present. Her pleasant, even features, and dark hair and eyes somewhat resembled Lizzy's, but unlike her next oldest sister, there was no sparkle and little joy in her expression. Fairly intelligent and possessing a talent for music, with enough drive to teach herself, Mary's penchant for sermons, religious treatises, and moral platitudes was foreign and incomprehensible to the rest of the family. Altogether she was the most forgotten child, though it did not seem to bother her; perhaps he had bequeathed his antisocial tendencies to her. With Jane gone, and Lizzy sure to follow, he was going to have to do something to help Mary come into her own.

Then there was Kitty, an enigma who seemed to be nothing more than a reflection of Lydia, yet who by all rights as the elder, should not be so… so much a follower. Though people enjoyed being with her, she left no lasting impression. It was more than passing strange. She needed to develop a bit of determination, to lead sometimes, instead of always being led. She was pretty enough, fairly dependable, fairly intelligent… That was it - she did not shine at any single accomplishment or quality, but that was true of many ladies and she should still be capable of having a quietly successful life. Perhaps, if he could separate her from Lydia, she could grow to become a minor shining sun, instead of being only a pale, reflecting moon.

And finally he turned his gaze upon Lydia. Lydia, who was too… too… everything -- fearless, forceful, vivacious, pretty, charming, interested in men (even as a mere child of fifteen!), and above all, with too little sense. A feather headed girl, she reminded him of the reasons he had married her mother. Darcy's unmasking of Wickham had revealed just how negligent he had been as a father, particularly with regard to this youngest and most defenseless daughter. By a small miracle she had been rescued - this time - before any harm had been done. Now it was up to him to make sure that the danger was not repeated, because he doubted the occurrence of a second miracle.

Unnoticed by the rest of the family, Thomas Bennet sighed to himself. Despite his self-imposed and greatly appreciated exile in his study, he did generally know what was happening in his family. That door helped to muffle much of the household noise, but raised voices still penetrated, sometimes loudly enough to break even his solitary concentration. The past six months had been louder and more piercing than any he could recall previously. After he had upheld Lizzy's refusal of Mr. Collins's suit, an amusing event which was followed by Mr. Bingley's not so amusing desertion of Netherfield and Jane, Fannie's voice had become more and more shrill, with a pronounced tinge of desperation. In his heart, he could not blame her. If something happened to him, Mr. Collins was more likely to bestow revenge upon the Bennet women than kindness. Now, with Mr. Bingley finally engaged to Jane, at least they would have a home.

Strong twinges of shame and remorse lanced through him as he reflected on the many previous years of inaction. Yet now all was, or soon would be, well settled – no thanks to him. During the past few weeks, as the reality of the situation had been forced upon him, he had followed the progression of events, 'Ah, the wonder of a logical mind derived from years of playing chess!' and to his amazement and some dismay, he had come to recognize the cause of every beneficial thing his family now enjoyed was a single person: Mr. Darcy, one of the most private individuals he had ever met. The trail of logic was inescapable - Lizzy went to Kent; Darcy went to Kent; something happened between them; Darcy left Kent and returned to London; the very next day Bingley called on Jane, after five months of nothing; Bingley returned to Netherfield within days of Jane's return to Longbourn, and promptly requested his permission to court Jane; Darcy arrived and exposed Wickham, who had paid prodigious attention to both Lizzy and Lydia.

That trail had required some time to come to his attention, but once alerted, he noticed other obvious clues. For the past few weeks, Lizzy had been leaving for her usual morning walks, but returned unusually inattentive to her surroundings, wearing a far-off dreamy gaze. Then, there was the look in Darcy's eyes he could see whenever that so-called-reserved man would look upon his Lizzy – like the glow of hot coals barely smouldering, but hot enough to set a new log on fire instantly. He could recall that feeling himself from his twenties, but this was his daughter; and not just any daughter, it was his darling Lizzy whom Darcy stared at with such intensity. Mr. Bennet shook his head. If he could have created an ideal man for Lizzy, the creation would undoubtedly have closely resembled Darcy, but still…It was too soon. He did not want to give her away, not yet. 'Bah! Stop whining to yourself, Thomas, and be grateful – think of Wickham!'

And then, to top it all off, heaping even more shame on a lazy father, Darcy talked to Fannie for a short time this afternoon, and she promptly decided that the fate of the youngest girls lay in sending them off to school, despite many years of loud, forceful, nervous rejection of the very same idea. Bennet smiled as he recalled that he had surprised her by agreeing with her completely, which brought him to this very moment. He had told her to remain silent on the subject until after dinner, which was fast approaching. Lydia's behaviour in society was coming perilously close to scandalous, and had surpassed rude and selfish some time ago. He had seen enough of her blatant favoritism for Wickham, and the embarrassing incident at the picnic on Saturday in full view of everyone, and he had heard of the scene regarding Mr. Bingley's gift to Jane. No one else over the age of two would even consider asking to borrow jewelry bestowed by a lover! It had been amusing in its way, but even he could not deny that the effect upon his family was shameful. It had become imperative that he take steps to protect the reputations of his other daughters, if only for his own pride.

Ah well! He would then be able to sink back into the peace of his quiet study soon enough, and then look forward to grandchildren. Now, it was time to put the cat into the dovecote. The decibel level would surely rise to unprecedented heights, but nevertheless he awaited the reactions with interest.

Thomas Bennet stood and tapped his cup, nodding to his wife with a small smile. "Girls, if you would postpone your raptures over Jane's wedding for just a moment, I have a small announcement to add to your excitement. If the wedding is not enough, three of you shall have something else to look forward to at the end of the summer"

"You are taking us to Brighton!" cried Lydia, bouncing in her chair. "We will go sea bathing?"

"We are going on a holiday?" asked Kitty, sending a slightly confused glance toward her younger sister.

He paused to survey their expectant faces. "Thank you, my dears, for bolstering my decision so effectively," he said dryly. "Your mother and I have decided that you, Mary, you, Kitty, and you, Lydia -" he nodded to each of them as he spoke, "will attend school to help you to learn to be a little less…" he broke off, catching sight of his wife's rapidly fading smile. "Ahem. To help you to learn the accomplishments and conduct becoming of proper young ladies." Mr. Bennet sat down to enjoy his family's varied responses.

"Oh, Papa, what a wonderful idea," Jane said softly, her gratitude shining through her blue eyes, appreciative of her sisters' new opportunities.]

Lizzy said nothing, and of course she was not surprised, but he could see that she was more than satisfied with the results of her Mr. Darcy's talk with her mother, and appeared a trifle smug that she had been present.

Mary's face and eyes had lit up, and when the noise quieted, to his amazement she asked eagerly, "May I please go to a school that teaches a lot of music, Papa?"

His face softened as he answered this quiet oddity of a child who rarely asked for anything, except music and books. "I will make sure of it, my dear." He could not resist adding with a tease, "In spite of your mother's demands that you learn to catch a rich husband, I am sure that you will want one just rich enough to afford a pianoforte, am I not correct?"

Mary's happy face and glowing eyes were actually quite pretty as she nodded vigorously; she appeared ready to dash upstairs and start packing to leave tomorrow.

Kitty looked puzzled, as if she did not know how, or what to feel; the thought of leaving her home to learn whatever she was supposed to learn was difficult, but apparently not unpleasant.

Lydia, to no one's surprise, was distinctly unhappy. "I do not want to go to school," she announced. "I want to go to London to visit Jane, and attend all of the parties, and the balls, and the theatre, and have a good time. I do not need to learn anything about men. In fact, I am certain that Mr. Wickham would have married me if that horrible Mr. Darcy had not come back and ruined everything." She sat back in her chair with her arms folded, pouting, and glared in defiance at anyone who looked at her.

Mr. Bennet rose and stared down at her coldly. "Your outburst has just proven – yet again - that your manners are in great need of alteration and betterment. I have a book on the correct deportment expected by young ladies in the company of others, which I shall send to your room after dinner. You will now leave the table for your room, to remain there alone. You may take your meals in your room, alone, until we can be assured that you will no longer disgust us with your inappropriate and childish behavior."

Lydia's eyes widened. Her father had never spoken to her in that tone or manner, and she turned to the parent who had always approved of and encouraged her. "Mama, I should not have go to my room simply because I do not want to go to school! A silly school can not teach me anything I need to know about catching a rich husband. It is as you said: I just have to stay with Jane, and I will soon be married too. Tell Papa that Mary and Kitty can go, but that you think I should go to London instead of wasting my time in a school."

Mrs. Bennet hesitated at the plea from her youngest and favorite child, but then she remembered what Mr. Darcy had said. "Mrs. Bennet, I regret telling you this, but your two youngest girls need to go to a school for young ladies in order to learn how to conduct themselves. They must do this before they would be accepted by the ton." Jane, her beautiful Jane, would soon be married, and above all her position must be protected, for the other girls could then visit the Bingleys in London. She had no choice but to act in a manner that ensured the futures of all of her daughters; she could not simply offer rewards which would mollify her unhappy youngest.

"Miss Lydia, do what your father says, and go to your room. You have quite a lot to learn, contrary to what you may think, before you will be ready to visit Jane in London. You must mend your manners, and you will go to school. Go on! Go now!" And she waved that most formidable weapon, her handkerchief, at Lydia.

The unprecedented rebuke silenced the room, except for the scrape and subsequent crash of Lydia's chair as it fell to the floor, and the sound of her footsteps and her sobs as she fled up the stairs to her room. Everyone cringed when the door slammed, but fortunately nothing fell off the walls.

Mr. Bennet picked up his glass of wine and raised it towards his wife. "That was magnificent, Mrs. Bennet, and very timely. I salute you, and I thank you." He sipped, smiled, and sat back down. "Now, after dinner, I will want to talk to Kitty and Mary privately in my study, in order to find out exactly what they wish to gain from a school, so that when I write to make inquiries, I do not waste time and postage."

Mrs. Bennet was flustered but gratified by the compliment, and desirous of earning more of the same, she stiffened her resolve to gain advantageous marriages for every child. She decided that as soon as Jane was gone, Lizzy simply had to be taught how to catch a man. Lord knew she had read enough books already, but men? Clearly she had no idea what was good for her. Why the silly girl had turned down Mr. Collins, refusing to save her family! Heaven forbid whatever impertinence she might exhibit next, although she seemed to have become friendly with Miss de Bourgh. Perhaps another visit to Kent might be in order, even if she had failed to snare that charming Colonel Fitzwilliam on the last one – the second son of an earl, at that.

By the time everyone was ready for bed, there were voluminous lists and notes on Mrs. Bennet's desk regarding the countless wedding and school related matters requiring her attention when the weather cleared. Later that night, alone in her bedroom, she thought about the toast from Mr. Bennet. It had been remarkably pleasing and she felt a dim glow within, an almost forgotten sensation. The notion of receiving more of them struck her fancy. Now, how to go about it – after all, she used to know how.

Mr. Bennet had only one sheet of paper with a few scant lines inscribed upon it, but the words 'pianoforte' and 'drawing' were heavily underscored. He had been surprised at Kitty's request for art, though not at Mary's request for music lessons, and he vowed to do his best to fulfill both of them. As for his wife – she could still astonish him after all of these years. He must compliment her more often; it had not passed beneath his notice that her nerves had not fluttered at all for the rest of the evening. Extraordinary.

Jane snuggled under the covers listening to the rain, contemplating and speculating about the unknown delights of snuggling with Mr. Bingley on a rainy night.

Mary lay listening to the rain, and recalled reading that the marvelous master, Beethoven, had composed a symphony that captured the sounds and feeling of a terrible storm; with luck and prayer, maybe someday she could hear it played by a full orchestra in a concert hall.

Kitty readied herself for bed, wondering and hoping she could learn to draw a rainy day so real, that whoever looked at the picture would shiver with cold.

Lydia sulked in her room, tapping her fingers on the window in time to the pelting of the rain, sure that by morning her mother, at least, would have come round and the entire ridiculous idea of school would be forgotten.

Lizzy, sitting in the window seat in her room and staring at the streaks of water upon the glass, was almost in tears. The storm had not let up one bit, and she knew that even if it stopped in the next hour or so, it would still be too wet and muddy to walk tomorrow morning. "Well, Lizzy, you might as well face it – when you make a mistake, you do not make a small reparable one; oh no – your mistake must be of catastrophic proportions. When did he transform from the last man in the world you could ever be prevailed upon to marry into the only man you will ever want to marry?"

MATLOCK HOUSE Wednesday Evening

Darcy, Fitzwilliam, and Lord Matlock were enjoying brandy and cigars after a fine dinner with Lady Eleanor and Sophy. The storm, which had prevented Darcy's meeting with Elizabeth, had also delayed Charles Rivenhart's arrival until the next day, much to the disappointment of Sophy and the children.

The Earl was enjoying the calm before the storm of activity when his daughter's husband arrived with the probable new steward of Rosings. If everything proceeded as he hoped, he and this Meriville fellow would travel to Kent on Saturday, or at the latest, on Monday. He did not look forward to facing his sister, but he had lazily foisted the responsibility onto Darcy for long enough. He was the executor of Lewis's will and the head of the family, and it was his laxness of enforcing his authority that had started the slow ruin of a fine estate. Despite Darcy's best efforts, he lacked any real power to force Cathy to do whatever she did not want to do. Thank goodness for that brilliant idea of Darcy's - and for Richard and Anne also, for daring to stand up to Cathy – and now he would make certain that progress could be made.

"Darce," Richard interrupted the Earl's train of thought, "whatever you do, do not mention Anne's horse in front of Rivenhart. Sophy reminded me that she wants to remain happily married for a while longer."

"So that is how you found her!" Darcy exclaimed. "We had wondered, because none of us at Netherfield had heard a whisper anywhere in town.".

"Yes, it seems that my brother has had his eye on her since she was a foal, and was merely biding his time before purchasing her. Why he had not already done so is beyond my understanding, but it was his mistake. Sophy had told me about the mare when I mentioned my search for the ideal horse for Anne's new phaeton, and I made a fast trip to Essex to see the breeder, and brought her back. Rivenhart will not be a happy man, but because I bought her for Anne, he might settle for insult rather than injury."

Lord Matlock raised an eyebrow. "I would still play least-in-sight for a few days if I were you, Richard."

"If you see me rushing past, I am on my way to stay at Darcy's!" was the insouciant reply.

Lord Matlock blew out some smoke, tilted his head, and fixing his 'Head of the Family' gaze on Darcy, suddenly asked, "By the way, nephew, what is all of this female subterfuge concerning your engagement about? My wife and daughter are talking about unsuitable ladies of the ton, who I happen to know are the very same ladies who were extremely suitable a mere two months ago. In the midst of comments containing such words as mediocre and unworthy, they are casting knowing glances at each other - all of which leads me to believe that you have found a woman you want to marry, but that all of you are afraid that I will not approve. Would it, by any chance, be that girl you met last year? The one who was in Kent at Easter, and is now in Hertfordshire near Bingley? Anne and Georgie ran off to stay there, and you and Richard can not seem to stay away, either. Do you think you could let me in on the secret too?" He could see that Darcy was startled, and waited patiently for the reply. It was not often that he saw his formidable nephew blush and squirm in his chair.

Darcy took a sip of his brandy, blew out a long breath while shaking his head at his uncle (he really should have known his uncle would figure everything out), and replied ruefully, "Her name is Elizabeth Bennet, and…" Darcy proceeded to tell his uncle what he hoped would satisfy the old boy's curiosity. He ending by saying, "Her mother is as silly and insensible as many mothers in the ton, and her two youngest sisters are rather wild, but they will be going off to school in a couple of months so that problem is – or should be - temporary."

Lord Matlock pursed his lips and sharpened his gaze. "That can not be all. Somehow the rest of the family is on your side, but is staying quiet for some reason. Come on, out with it!"

Darcy decided that keeping anything at all from his family was hopeless; he might as well relate the whole story and get it over with. "Very well. If you must know, I was attracted to her last year, but decided she was unsuitable, and… Lieutenant Wickham (The earl grunted, "Damn snake!") … and she refused, vehemently…(Another grunt from the earl, together with a raised brow and astounded eyes.)… I handed her the letter and left, never to see her again, I thought. On the way back to Rosings, my idiot cousin found me, sleepless and foodless, and gave me a drink, and you know the rest, I think."

"Not quite! What happened to Wickham? And what is everybody doing in Hertfordshire? Half the family is there, and I know nothing about it!" his astute uncle complained about his lack of knowledge.

"Ah. Well, after we brought Anne to London, I confessed all to Bingley, who rushed back to Hertfordshire. I went a few days later and purchased Wickham's debts – yes, again – but now he is in Fleet Prison, and I am trying to worm my way into Miss Elizabeth's good graces, and Anne and Georgiana are visiting because the three of them have become close friends. Oh, and Bingley is now engaged to the beautiful Miss Bennet, and they will marry on June twentieth."

"Richard, what does Miss Elizabeth look like and how does she conduct herself? Could she manage as mistress of Pemberley? You keep silent, nephew! Let him answer."

Thinking a moment how to phrase it, Richard finally replied, "She is hard to describe, Father. She is a very pretty girl, with a nice figure, dark hair, and dark, striking eyes. She is intelligent, witty, charming, well-read and well bred. Believe it or not, even Aunt Catherine liked her energy, though she found her a trifle outspoken for one so young. Anne quickly became her friend, and in fact helped me convince Mother that Miss Elizabeth should not be dismissed. She can play the piano a little, enough to entertain, though she has a lovely singing voice. She has spirit, character, and in some unexplainable way, she lights up a room with her presence. If I am not careful here, Darce is going to hit me, because I do like and admire her immensely." He held up his hands as his cousin glared. "Not to worry, Cuz! To me, she seems like a sister - younger than Freddie and Sophy, but somewhat like a combination of the two, and a little older than Georgie. Will that do, or must I continue until my cousin goes for a gun?"

"To sum it up, Cathy tolerated her, which is significant, Anne and Georgie like her, you admire her, my wife and daughter are convinced that you are correct, and my nephew wants to marry her. If I said 'No', would it stop you Darce?" asked the Earl.

"I do not recall asking, Uncle Henry, but to answer your unspoken question, sir, the only thing that will stop me is another refusal from Elizabeth," Darcy replied – he loved and respected his uncle, but this was his decision to make.

The Earl grunted, not that pleased by Darcy's blunt reminder, but aware that there was really nothing he could do about it. "One thing we can be sure of, at least, is that she most definitely is not after your fortune. I admit that I would have preferred a title and a large dowry for you, but the family will survive without it." He paused for a moment, thinking how to phrase what he wanted to say, and knowing that his nephew would be surprised. "I can only hope that you will grow to respect and feel for Miss Elizabeth Bennet as much as I do for your aunt. We have been extremely fortunate with each other, though our marriage was arranged when we were very young and it took several years, and a great deal of trial and error, to understand our luck. All one must do is look around London to see unhappy people and unsatisfying – and often unfaithful - marriages. I may have pushed my children towards certain partners, but I did not force them." Rising, the Earl walked over and laid his hand on Darcy's shoulder a moment, before walking towards the door. "Come. It is high time that we rejoin the ladies. By the way, when do I meet this marvelous lady who has managed to capture the elusive Fitzwilliam Darcy? Oh, and one piece of advice from an old man: do not propose again. Find a way to convince her to say yes without her realizing exactly what you are asking."

LONGBOURN Saturday Morning

The night was going on and on, interminably. It had certainly lasted several days already (or felt as if it had), and Lizzy thought that surely the sky should begin to gray soon. She knew that it could not be clouded over because she could see stars twinkling and shining, yet she was afraid to close her eyes, because she might fall asleep and wake up long after the sun rose. "Stop it, Lizzy! It is merely another Saturday morning, just like any other, and it will simply be another walk to Oakham Mount, just like any other." It did not mean that much to her that Mr. Darcy might be there; after all, she had refused to marry him once, and he was so proud that he would never even consider asking a second time. A kiss on the cheek and a moment holding her hand meant nothing; he had only been trying to help her because she had been so upset. He would undoubtedly do the same for his sister or his cousin. Yes, that was it - she was like a sister to him. Now she really felt like crying.

But time did creep past, and if Lizzy rose a few minutes earlier than usual, dressed a little more carefully in her most attractive morning gown, arranged her hair as becomingly as possible by herself before she crept down the stairs to don her spencer, hat and gloves (and went to the kitchen for a warm muffin from Polly), she assured herself that seeing Fitzwilliam Darcy was not reason. Although the sky was growing lighter and the clouds to the east had developed pink, orange, and red bottoms, she walked slowly down the drive as she nibbled her muffin. Her urge was to hurry, if not to run, but the last thing she wanted to do was stumble or trip over an unseen object and fall, dirtying or tearing her dress. By the time she reached the crossroad it was light enough that objects were visible, though details were still obscure. Even in the dim light, however, Lizzy immediately spotted the horse and rider under the very same tree where she had seen them previously. Without knowing how she knew it, she recognized the tall form, and warmth and joy almost exploded throughout her body.

"Good morning, Miss Elizabeth," came the quiet voice, but she seemed to hear an undertone of happiness in it.

Suddenly she was overwhelmed with shyness, unable to think, and fell back on finely ingrained good manners. "Good morning, Mr. Darcy. It appears as if it will be a fine day, does it not?"

"Yes indeed. After that dreadful storm a few days ago, it is very welcome. If you are headed toward Oakham Mount, may I accompany you?" His brain, too, seemed capable only of performing the habitual social niceties, beset as he was by hope and fear, and he was incapable of originality; something was wrong with him. (Come on, man, wake up!)

"I would welcome your company," she was saying. "It would be a shame to refuse to share what should be a beautiful sunrise." Lizzy's mind was completely blank; even her name would be difficult to recall just now.

Thus, there progressed what felt to the participants to be an almost interminable walk, yet at the same time, neither wished to be anywhere else, and somehow, it seemed mere seconds before they reached the summit. The time was filled with occasional polite and formal questions about families and health, and the responses were equally polite and formal. Though each stole quick, desperate glances at the other as they walked, the glances just as quickly moved away for fear of detection by the other, and each appeared to be gazing quite properly ahead. So correct were they, that an outsider would have been convinced that two total strangers had met and been forced to journey to their destination together. By the time they reached the top of the Mount, even Galahad had caught the tension, and snorted and danced slightly before Darcy tethered him to a nearby tree. They sat stiff and erect on the bench, both staring straight ahead, too terrified to reveal the slightest hint of their feelings, in fact barely indicating an awareness that another person was present.

Desperately trying to make some noise louder than the thundering of her heart, which she thought must be audible as far away as Meryton, Lizzy asked, "Mr. Darcy, I wonder if I may ask you about the different schools available to young ladies, for I know that with your sense of responsibility to your sister, you must have researched them quite thoroughly. My sister Mary hopes to study music, while Kitty would prefer art. Could they attend together, do you think, or would they have to be apart? I did ask your sister about this while you were gone, but she had little knowledge on the subject. All she could tell me was about the school she attended, how much she learned, and how much she disliked missing you and Pemberley." Other than one quick turn of her head, Lizzy managed to keep her eyes fixed upon the view before her, though if she had been asked if the sun was rising, she would have been uncertain; perhaps it was setting.

Darcy suppressed a sigh of relief; at last there was a reason to look at her! "Well, Miss Elizabeth…" he stopped short, unable to think of anything but her beauty and his desire to take her into his arms. "The… uh, the school I… ah… selected for Georgie was…um… an exclusive one, but… uh… yes, music…I did choose it deliberately for its emphasis on music." 'I sound like a bumbling idiot!' he thought. 'She will never agree to anything if I can not be more persuasive than this!' Darcy drew a deep breath, determined to exercise some of his vaunted self control – which, come to think of it, he had never really had in this particular woman's presence. "I knew that Georgie would not like being away, and I did not want her to go and missed her as well, but it was necessary." 'That is slightly better; now keep going.' "She really should have attended longer for she did not complete her studies, but after her dreadful experiences last summer –" he paused to collect himself, lest his continuing rage at Wickham distract him, " - I decided to keep her close to home and family. She had withdrawn into herself and seldom spoke to anyone, and I could not impose such a separation upon her. She seems so much better now that I may send her back to school, if she is not beleaguered by the thought. I believe that spending time with my Aunt Eleanor and Sophy improved her spirits, then the excitement of Anne arriving, and all of the shopping did not hurt – except for my purse." He paused, thankful for her shy smile. "Now after making your acquaintance, and developing a friendship with Miss Mary also, she is finally coming out of the shell in which she had been hiding, and I cannot express my happiness with her recovery." He came to an abrupt halt; what was he doing blathering away about his troubles to her? She did not need to hear such things; come on Darcy, talk about her eyes, her hair, a book, crops, horses, whatever she would be interested in! He risked a glance at her eyes, but all he saw was compassion and concern. Perhaps he had not ruined his chances with his rambling after all.

Lizzy's entire body had warmed as he confided some of his troubles to her, indicating a level of trust in her that was quite thrilling, if unusual for this - oh, so - private man. "I am happy for your sister and for you, Mr. Darcy, if Georgiana is returning to herself. I am quite thankful for her friendship with my sister, as well." She hoped that he would not be bored or put off by her discussion of her family. But if he was… "Mary is different when she is with Georgie, and it is not that both are so engrossed in music that they do not speak of anything else. Your sister brought over a few novels for Mary to read, and the speed with which she finished them was astounding. I had to leave the room yesterday because all I wanted to do was laugh as both of our sisters and Anne were arguing passionately about the best way for a hero to win the fair lady. In fact, I cannot remember more than one or two platitudes from Mary in the whole of the past week. She used to recite that many homilies an hour, if she said anything at all. That has to be Georgie's influence."

"Their dispositions and interests do seem to suit each other, although I do not recall hearing them speak about sermons or moral principles, or anything along those lines, and I certainly would have recalled a discussion about heroes." He heard his own voice becoming more relaxed, and his shoulders were not quite as stiff as they had been.

Lizzy realized that in trying to keep her emotions hidden, she felt as if her face had frozen into a mask, so she blinked her eyes a few times and tried to smile, hoping it did not appear to be a grimace. "Their chattering seems to be mainly about music, of course, and books, but while Anne and I went for a drive yesterday, Georgie arranged Mary's hair in a more fashionable style, and you should have seen how nice she looked. Everyone was excited about it, but no one more than Georgie. The two of them performed a mock promenade in our drawing room, making deep curtseys to imaginary royalty and looking down their noses at us poor plebeians watching and applauding from the sofas and chairs. Even Papa was laughing at their antics, which is highly unusual." She caught herself just before she breathed an audible sigh of relief as she felt her voice and face returning to something close to normal.

Darcy turned to give her a warm smile. "I wish I had been there to share the moment with you. It sounds like the best of entertainment."

"It was, and your presence would only have made it better." Lizzy blushed as she realized what she had admitted. 'Oh well. There is nothing to be done for it now!' There was silence for a moment, then Lizzy's eyes gleamed a little as she boldly inquired, "Mr. Darcy, I need to ask you a question. If you do not wish to answer, I will understand, but I am so very curious and care more for giving relief to my own feelings than for yours. Why did you ask for me to be present when you talked to my mother about school for my younger sisters?" Oh, how she hoped she was not offending him, but for reasons unknown even to her, she desperately wanted an answer to this question which had been plaguing her since his departure.

Taken aback, he frowned – not with his black scowl – but in puzzlement, saying slowly, "I do not have a ready answer for that, but I will try. Would it bother you if I gave you a fumbling answer?"

"Of course not. Do not forget that I have had a lifetime of practice of listening to my mother and younger sisters. Oh! I know that it was not at all proper to say that, but how you managed in such a short time to accomplish what you did with my mother is beyond my comprehension, and I am in awe of your skill. Jane and I, and sometimes my father, have tried in vain for years to convince Mama that the girls had to learn better behaviour and go to school, but she would not listen, and would only complain that we were upsetting her nerves with our unreasonable pleas. I am aware that you could have accomplished your goal without me there at all, but you requested my presence. Why? And perhaps more importantly," Lizzy looked down, unable to meet his eyes, "why did you even try to persuade her in the first place?"

He turned to face her, a worried frown drawing his fine brows together; she did not avoid the heart of the matter – why did he try? Looking down, he took a deep breath, slowly let it out, then he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, and sat quietly like that before reaching slowly over to pick up her nearest hand, holding it gently between both of his. He looked up at her intently, "You know that your refusal changed my life…" he began, firmly holding her hand as she tried to jerk it away. Raising his voice a little, he finished "- for the better. No, I will not let go of your hand, so you might as well stop pulling on it!" His words were stern, but his voice and eyes were soft. She stopped struggling, and looked at him with wide eyes. Elbows still on his knees, he brought her hand up to bestow several feathery kisses on it, before lowering their joined hands again. "I am ashamed to admit that I had never considered that you could have any hesitation about marrying me; I thought only of what I wanted, and I expected, based upon my experience, that you would accept gratefully. I deemed that my own desires were all that mattered – yours were of no account, so I ignored the fact you must have them. Looking back, it is difficult to believe I could behave so stupidly, and as you correctly said, so arrogantly, but, I must include, so cruelly toward the woman I love." He held her hand more tightly as she stirred, though whether it was from astonishment or rejection he could not determine.

"When we left Kent, I knew that I had to address the failings you had laid at my door as soon as I could. You know about most of that, I believe, but I did not do any of it to impress you. I had to right the wrongs you had so accurately pointed out to me, simply in order to respect myself again. Then, last Saturday at the picnic, Anne saw my discomfort and spoke quite sternly to me after Miss Lydia … No, stop trying to pull away, I will not let go – where was I… yes, Anne saw that I was angry that your parents did not check Miss Lydia, and she said something in your mother's defense which, I admit, had never occurred to me. Do you know that I love it when your eyes widen in wonder like that?" He smiled briefly, but continued without interruption. "Anne was brilliant enough to realize that your mother does not know the premium placed on good manners in society, and that she truly has no way to know – or to teach her daughters how to conduct themselves properly. How Miss Bennet, and Miss Mary, and you, have managed to become as genteel as you are is a wonder, and very much to your credit. Anyway, Anne pointed out that I am probably the only person from the first circles whom your mother knows, and we are both aware that I am far from a good example of polite manners. Bingley's sisters talk may sound to the uninitiated as if they are important, or bang-up-to-the-nines as the current saying goes, but it is not true. Anne said that someone needed to tell Mrs. Bennet exactly what her daughters must do to become successful in London, and once she had the information, your mother loved all of you enough that she would make sure it was accomplished."

Darcy risked a glance at Elizabeth, and if her eyes were not warm, at least she was patiently listening and had stopped struggling to remove her hand from his grasp. Damn those gloves that ladies had to wear, anyway!

"So, whether or not your feelings for me could ever change, for your sisters' benefit I knew that I was the only person who could correct your mother's imaginary high society world. After that, there were only two other things left to arrange - I had to talk to your mother without a lot of people around, and if worse devolved into worst, I also needed someone steady and sensible enough to take care of a hysterical matron. Hence, Bingley's trip to the confectionery, and your presence, along with Anne at your home, because asking one of your sisters to be there was impossible. Fortunately, your mother listened, and accepted my offerings of knowledge and help. Truly, never before had I been aware that a person could actually quake in his boots, but during the entire interview with your mother, I felt as if I was quivering all over. If your mother had offered me her smelling salts, I believe that I would have taken them with thanks. Maybe that is why I wanted you there - to rescue me from hysterics, not her." His dimples showed themselves as he grinned at her small burst of laughter.

Lizzy could only smile at him, grateful beyond words for his generosity and for the feelings that he had, perhaps inadvertently, revealed. "Mama has become a fervent convert to your thoughts about school, and Papa announced at dinner that very same night that my younger sisters would be attending in the next term. Mary has been smiling and conferring with Georgie about schools in London, hoping that she could stay with the Gardiners during holidays, and that she and Georgie would be able to visit each other. Kitty seems pleased with the prospect of studying art, and while she appears somewhat enthusiastic about being away from home, hints of timidity also cross her face. I remember feelings like that when I was younger, as well."

"Oh yes, you are so very old-hat now, are you not? You are well past that!" he teased. Then, more soberly, he asked, "What was Miss Lydia's reaction?"

Lizzy was quiet for a moment, recalling the scene. "It was terrible. But Papa was extremely stern and sent her to her room, where he told her to stay – even eating her meals there alone - until she promised to conduct herself properly. He had never really involved himself in our conduct, before. However, the most surprising thing was that my mother agreed with him when Lydia asked, almost demanded, that Mama oppose Papa's decision. That has never happened before! The rest of us could only stare at Mama, but Papa picked up his glass of wine and offered Mama a toast, complimenting her. It was wonderful! I almost burst into tears. I could not believe that these was my parents acting in this… this… supportive and cooperative manner." Her beautiful dark eyes were shining in remembered happiness.

Curious, he asked, "How long did Miss Lydia stay in her room?"

"She finally came downstairs yesterday afternoon and apologized to everyone. The strangest thing is, that because we are so busy with the wedding plans and visits back and forth with Netherfield, by Wednesday evening her absence had become a joking matter. Papa started it in his sarcastic way, trying to irritate Mama by making a bet about when she would come down, but Mama only said that there was enough to worry about without bothering about Lydia, and the silly girl would end up learning what she needed at school anyway. Then Kitty said something about how much calmer it was, and how fast things were getting done without Lydia's whining and pouting, and that she was enjoying the peace. Jane, of all people, chimed in and bet Papa a ha'penny that Lydia would be down for dinner on Thursday, because Mama usually has Lydia's favorite soup that night. Mary and I joined in and bet a two minute sermon versus no platitudes for a week, and soon even my father was laughing and joking with my mother. See what you have done to my family? You will not recognize them!" Her eyes were glowing and she brought her remaining hand to join the other three. A few seconds later, she flushed a dark red and rose to her feet pulling her hands free and startling the enchanted Darcy.

"Miss Elizabeth, I hope I have not offended you!" he was worried at this abrupt change in her behaviour and stood beside her, ready to give chase should she bolt.

"No, oh no! Here I am talking about Lydia while hypocritically indulging my own self in this most improper behaviour." She could not bear to look at him lest she see condemnation in his face.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, my dear. Who was the first person to take the other's hand? Me. Who sat there all of that time with two hands holding your one hand? Me. If we count the number of improper hands involved in this behaviour, who is the most improper? Me." He paused as her marvelous eyes rested on his face. "Remember that once you talked to me about my identical twin and how badly he behaves at times?" He grinned as she blushed but raised her eyes to meet his. "Please sit down again, and if it makes you more comfortable, I promise I will restrain that improper twin from indulging himself. I apologize that he gave himself away for a few minutes." He was immensely relieved when his teasing seemed to do away with her self-accusations and restore her good humour.

Lizzy, though, found his smile and eyes so bewitching that resisting was impossible, and hardly knowing what she did, she found herself beside him again on the bench. Unable at this moment to cope with any kind of personal remark, she again fell back on social manners, "What time did you arrive last evening? The weather was fair here, with some clouds but no rain. I hope it was that clear for your entire journey."

"We made good time, thanks to the coachman. Fitzwilliam and I had been so busy that we were very tired, and both of us slept a good part of the trip. We arrived just before the light started to fade. I understand that Anne, Georgie, and surprisingly, Mrs. Hurst spent the afternoon at Longbourn helping your mother decide between items from London or Meryton. All through dinner they kept telling each other not to eat so much or the three of them would never be able to sit together in the phaeton again." Darcy left out any mention of Miss Bingley's dark looks at her sister's implied desertion.

"Yes, Louisa, as we now call her, was most helpful, for she could tell us what items would be of similar quality, but much less expensive and much simpler to acquire in Meryton instead of having to send all the way to London. My mother may not ever become a 'pinchpenny', but she is well on her way to being a 'pinch-shilling!' which is something else to be laid at your door. We are dumbfounded, but she claims that we need to save the money to pay for schools." Lizzy laughed, but it was with delight.

"Bingley broke the news that he is hosting another ball a week before the wedding, on Saturday, the thirteenth of June. Fitzwilliam is naturally looking forward to it. Georgie pulled such a doleful face when I reminded her that she is not yet out, that Colonel Fitz-traitor reminded me that he is her other guardian, and decreed that she may dance with members of her family and close friends. Those other two traitors, Bingley and Hurst immediately asked her for a set each, so I pulled out my handkerchief and waved it in surrender." Darcy was not entirely happy at the thought of his little sister growing up, and he sighed.

Lizzy smiled sympathetically, "Georgie will soon be a wonderful young woman."

Darcy gave a rueful grin and shook his head, "One hears older people saying that time flies faster than one realizes it, and one laughs at the thought, but then time flies away and it is not funny at all. I swear it was only last week that I was fumblingly trying to re-braid her hair, which she had undone when we were out some place I cannot recall. I can remember holding her in my lap and comforting her when she skinned her hands on one of the gravel walks at Pemberley as she toddled faster than her feet could hold her. Perhaps I had better purchase a cane the next time I am in London."

Lizzy smirked and raised an eyebrow. "You might do better with a walking stick, like the Colonel - so even if you could not keep up with your baby sister, you could sip some brandy while you rested!"

He gave a shout of laughter. "Very good! That reminds me, the good Colonel, with his infallible strategic sensibility, surmised that I would be seeing you this morning and ordered me to ask you to dance the first set with him at Bingley's ball." At her surprised but disappointed look, he hurried to explain, "I must dance the first set with my sister, or believe me, I would be asking you myself, not carrying my cousin's invitation!. But, Miss Bennet, with my duty then behind me, may I have the honor of the second set with you?"

Lizzy blushed, thrilled with the sensations that raced through her. "It would be my pleasure Mr. Darcy."

"Do you also have the supper set free at this time, Miss Bennet?"

She lifted glowing eyes. "I could not wish for a better partner."

"And, of course, I find the idea of the last dance with you quite irresistible, if not improper and cause for gossip." His burning eyes were hopeful.

Lizzy hesitated slightly, fully aware of the import of his question, but this was not town, so she nodded firmly, as no words would come because her throat was so tight.

They sat and stared at each other, lost in wonder, for long moments, and Darcy had to clear his throat several times before he was able to speak again. "The first Saturday in July, my aunt, Lady Eleanor, is giving a small ball at Matlock House in London to introduce Anne to a wider circle of society, and she hopes to celebrate another coming out at the same time. She would like for Mr. and Mrs. Bingley and you to attend. Do you think you might be willing?"

Elizabeth flushed with pleasure. "Oh yes! I am sure Aunt and Uncle Gardiner would put me up for a few days. Just think of Mama's raptures when she can finally start to brag about her two older girls hobnobbing with the first circles in London." It was difficult to tell which was more radiant, her face or her eyes.

"At that ball, I simply must have the first dance." His eyes were intensely alive, and suddenly she could not breathe.

"Of course, without question, it is yours," she whispered.

"And the supper dance again, also?"

The word escaped her without any volition. "Yes."

"And the last dance too. In London, that will undoubtedly be a waltz, but your first waltz will therefore be with me."

She hesitated, and sadly answered, "I could not dance a third set with you in London. It would be most improper, and I will not endanger my family's reputation."

He leaned forward again to pick up both of her hands, and held them gently. "What if I could make it proper? Would you then waltz with me at the ball?"

"If you could magically do that, I would be most happy to dance my first waltz, and the last dance with you." She smiled at him through her wistfulness, knowing even he could not finesse that hurdle, especially in his high-placed family.

He grinned, worried, but hopeful this tactic would work out, and spoke in what he hoped was a relaxed and practical tone. "I would like to know what you now think about the idea of marrying me. Is the idea of marriage to me something you would ever consider?"

Her brows knit and her heart alternately leaped and tumbled. What was he getting at? "I am sorry, but I do not understand -- are you asking me to marry you again?" She was incredulous, and she gently tried to remove her hands from his firm grip. (She would be able to flee in mortification if she had misunderstood him.)

"No. You need have no worry about that - once was enough. I will never ask you to marry me again." His heart leaped as her eyes showed disappointment and her shoulders slumped a little. "All I am asking is for you to think about it. For instance, answer this - do you find me repugnant?"

"No." Lizzy looked down, uncertain, but hoping he was leading somewhere.

"Have I continued to be arrogant and disdainful of others?"

"No" What was he doing asking such questions?

"Do you enjoy being with me?"

"Yes," She whispered.

"Do you think you would find it pleasant to spend more time with me?

"Yes," An idea of what he was doing began to penetrate her fear.

"Do you think I would honour my marriage vows?"

"Yes," she smiled slightly.

"Do you think I would always provide for my wife and family?"

"Yes," and she was struggling to contain herself.

"Most important of all, can you think of any reason you would not want to marry me?"

She hesitated again, then understanding and love flooding her face and eyes, said simply, "No. I cannot think of a single reason I would not want to marry you."

Darcy blew out a long breath, and, elbows on his knees, he brought their hands up, leaned forward to kiss them fervently, then laid his forehead against their hands as he willed his heart to slow. He felt so relieved that he was afraid that his body might deflate into an empty shell, but suddenly he was bursting with joy and energy, and he jumped to his feet, pulling her up with him. Bending down, he encircled her with his arms and pulling her as close as he could, laid his cheek on her hair, saying softly, "Oh, Elizabeth! At last, my Elizabeth!" He tried to meld her body into his, and she let out a soft grunt as he squeezed a little too hard. He released her immediately, but held her shoulders as he bent down to peer at her anxiously, "I am sorry. I did not mean to hurt you."

Her face and smile were her answer, and he asked, "Are you sure about your answer?"

"Yes, quite sure." She was dismayed when his eyes widened, and hurriedly explained, "Yes, I am not hurt. No. No. There is no reason in the world not to marry you." She held onto his waistcoat leaning back a little, and looked up with sparkling eyes.

His arms encircled her again, but loosely this time, and his eyes were gentle with love. "Have you ever been kissed?"

"Once," she smiled, knowing he would be disappointed by the answer, but not by the story. "I was eight or nine and talking to one of the neighbour boys across a fence, and we decided we should try it, since grown-ups seemed to disapprove of it so much. We both found it kind of disgusting and not worth the bother of getting in trouble." Her eyes lit up at his small grin.

He lowered his head slightly, "There is no fence, but I am willing to risk getting in trouble if you are."

She raised her face, murmuring, "I cannot think of a single reason not to."

With no thought on her part, her arms lifted themselves to go around his neck. His lips lowered and pressed against hers, and for the first second or so, she was wondering what all of the fuss was about. But then his arms tightened as he held her closer, and his mouth moved a little on hers. Her stomach quivered, and she started to draw back in surprise, but his hand had risen to the back of her neck with his thumb along the line of her jaw, and she could not withdraw. Her stomach quivered again, a little more strongly, as his mouth moved on hers again, and somehow her entire being was infused with pleasure. The pleasure was heightened when his velvety tongue touched her lips, and involuntarily, her arms tightened around his neck and she pressed herself closer to him. His tongue was so soft, and so enticing, she felt compelled to try the same thing and find out what other pleasure might happen next. Darcy's entire body jerked, and his mouth opened wider, and in response, so did hers, and each moment that passed she felt more wonderful and eager, and her body was squirming against his and for some reason, she was very warm, and felt alive and wanting, and….Everything stopped as Darcy eased his grip on her, moved his head to the side and breathing heavily, said haltingly, his voice hoarse, "Enough, Elizabeth. For now, anyway."

She waited a minute for him to regain his breath, and lift his head to look down at her, then she cautiously said, "I hope I did not do anything wrong. If I did, please tell me, so I will not do it again."

He stared at her, astonished, and started to laugh, and he kept on laughing while he picked her up to hold her close, and whirled them both around with joy, as she had seen him do with his sister. He quickly stopped, then set her on the bench when she wobbled a bit trying to stand, and he sat close to her with an arm around her waist, holding her hand with his free one. "I will remind you of that someday soon, and we will both laugh," and he kissed the tip of her nose.

She wrinkled her nose and teased, "I imagine this has to do with the mysteries that young ladies are not to mention or think about. It appears I will have to visit Aunt Gardiner, because I am sure my mother will terrify me. I have grown up around livestock, after all."

Darcy's face reddened. "You are correct, you are wonderful, and I am not going to say another word about it except to assure you that you did nothing at all wrong, or rather, it will not be wrong later. I have met your aunt, and I agree you might enjoy a talk with her. But we do need to have some other words with each other, and make a few decisions together. For example, do you want to be courted or engaged, and whichever one you pick, how long do you want it to last?"

Her nose wrinkled again as she thought. "I definitely do not want a courtship, and I would prefer not to have an engagement, if it means the same fuss that Jane has to put up with. Come to think of it, that is another reason not to get married – one has to be engaged."

He knew her manner well enough to give her a pointed look. "All right, we will not be engaged, we will just get married." They were silent for a minute, then he continued, thinking it out, "I can get a special license, and on the wedding day of your sister and Bingley, make quiet arrangements with your pastor to hold a double ceremony. No one would need to know about it ahead of time – unless, are you of age? – well, in that case, your father would need to know. Would you want to do that?"

Face serious, she thought for a minute. "No. I would like to, but I cannot do that to my mother. Though I dread the thought of her actions when I tell her we will marry, I have to give her the joy of knowing she no longer will have to worry about living in the hedgerows. I know the word 'hedgerows' sounds ridiculous, but she is very fearful about the family's future, as she has a right to be. I am assuming that if anything untimely happens to my father, you and Mr. Bingley will care for her and my sisters?"

He kissed her hand. "It will be part of the marriage settlements, and she will never have to be in doubt of having a roof over her head and food on the table. How long do we need to be engaged?"

"Your idea about Jane's wedding is a good one, if they agree to share the day with us, and I do not doubt Jane and Mr. Bingley's agreement. My mother will be upset, but she will be so busy that it will not last long. My father will be ecstatic, if he only has to endure the preparations for one wedding to dispose of two daughters."

"Fair enough. One last question: when do you want to break the news? Remember, to Georgie, Anne, and Fitzwilliam, I am apparently an open book, and Georgie is an open book to everyone. By the way, Aunt Eleanor has already informed me, that in addition to presenting Anne, the invitations for her ball will include the introduction of Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, so you will not need to stay with the Gardiners, nor would I allow my wife to do so. Apparently my entire family knows everything already, and I am only now catching up with them. Uncle Henry wants to meet you, he told me that last Wednesday, the next evening my aunt told me about the ball."

"Oh dear! And here I thought that no one ever knew what you were thinking! I see that I will have to stop telling you anything I want to keep secret." Her eyes danced as he assumed a look of guilt. "Jane will know right away when she sees me, and I am sure that Papa already suspects something. I do know that I need to return home soon, or they will start looking for me. Why not get it over with, and then we will not have to dread it? Would you like some breakfast? I must not be as much in love with you as I thought, because I am getting very hungry!" She stood up, laughing.

"I am ashamed to admit it, but my stomach is also proclaiming that my love for you is not really that strong either. But could we try to prove the poets correct about love for a few minutes, before we go?" he inquired, and at her curious glance, continued, "I am not sure that I will survive the experience, but perhaps on your second try, your kisses might be even more proficient…"

And he opened his arms as she smiled and raised her face to his, murmuring, "You forget - as a musician I know that practice makes perfect, so let us start and see how well I do."

Several minutes later, he gasped that she had learned rapidly and well. It was amazing what a little practice could do. Maybe Aunt Catherine was correct about one thing after all – Practice, you must practice more to be truly proficient.

Chapter 14

Posted on January 12, 2010

OAKHAM MOUNT Saturday Morning

If Lizzy and Darcy's walk up Oakham Mount had been awkward, the walk down was perilous. They needed to watch their steps on the slope, but they gazed only at each other instead. After she stumbled for the third time – each stumble leading to a further delay while he steadied and held her – he realized that Galahad was still tethered back at the summit. He laughed at his forgetfulness, (though considering the reason, it was not untoward), and at her quizzical look, exclaimed, "This will not do. We will never get down at this rate - you go ahead by yourself. I will climb back up and retrieve my horse, and meet you at the bottom, where we can make some progress on the road. I hope that we shall, anyway."

Lizzy's eyes rounded and her hand rose to cover her mouth. "Oh, poor Galahad! How in the world could we have been so careless and forgotten him?"

He just grinned, "Elizabeth, I am not going to apologize because I was thinking about you, more than I was thinking about my horse. There is a first time for everything in life, and I managed to accomplish several things for the first time today. Yes, I forgot Galahad, but much more significant, I embraced the woman I love. Not only that, I managed to kiss her, and the most essential thing of all, she could not find any reason not to marry me." He gave her a fast kiss and hug, and turned to leave, but paused a moment to tease, "If you reach the road before I do, make up a list of all of those important things. I will be interested in my place on the list versus where you will place the horse." (In later life, he vowed that he must have set a speed record for his ascent for the horse, and the descent to rejoin his love. Lizzy, however, occasionally vowed that Galahad should have been placed first on the list.)

To the loving pair, it seemed as if the return to Longbourn lasted for the twinkling of an eye, though a person counting the minutes would have been amazed at how long it really took, when the delays for adoring glances, endearments, embraces, and yet more practice were included. But arrive they eventually did, and Darcy tied his horse to one of the posts in the forecourt, and after a last kiss by the front door, they entered as quietly as possible.

Lizzy looked up at the handsome man beside her, and suddenly, was disappointed; for until now, he had been hers alone. Sadly, that time was ending because the news would shortly be shared with others. (She wondered what would be her next interesting discovery about loving someone!) "That food smells wonderful! I am really getting hungry. I can still hear the girls upstairs, so I will go up to my room for a moment. You can go to Papa now, or wait for me in the drawing room."

"I will see your father now. But even if he refuses, I am going to have breakfast here, so be prepared to see me soon." He gave her another fast, but fervent hug and kiss, before leaving the entryway for the hall to the study door.

LONGBOURN Saturday Morning

The knock did not sound familiar to Mr. Bennet, so he laid down his pen and was astonished to see Mr. Darcy enter at his bidding. One look at the tall gentleman's face told him the reason, and though he had been expecting it, he was still saddened. However, that was not going to stop him from discomforting this young man for taking his favorite child. He put on his best surprised face, saying, "Mr. Darcy, I did not expect you this early, but sit down anyway. I thought that you would not arrive until ten or ten-thirty at the earliest."

Now Darcy was surprised, "I beg your pardon, Mr. Bennet. You were expecting me later today?"

"Yes, for more instructions and practice in that game of golf. Sir William is looking forward to seeing us about eleven o'clock, but we can depart now, before breakfast." Mr. Bennet rubbed his hands together, as if eager to leave.

"Who arranged this, sir? I regret to say, I was unaware of any plans for a golf game."

"That is odd. Bingley said he would tell you when you returned last night from London. However, that is neither here nor there, because you have arrived in plenty of time for breakfast, and we can leave when we are finished eating if you prefer."

Darcy thought about Bingley, the conversations the previous evening at Netherfield, and considered everything he had heard and knew about Mr. Bennet, and put those things together with Elizabeth's sense of mischief. "That sounds pleasant, and a meal with your family would be welcome. I do hope Bingley remembers to load the clubs and balls in the carriage. Perhaps you could tell me, because I have forgotten everything that Bingley said, but are my cousin and Hurst also joining us? Will Mr. Goulding be there? Or will it be just the three of us with Sir William?"

Mr. Bennet quickly discerned he was not dealing with Mr. Bingley, and replied, "Perhaps I have made an error regarding the day. Come to think of it, maybe he said tomorrow."

Darcy would not allow him to escape that easily. "During church services? Bingley is sometimes confused about days, but not usually about Sundays and church. Maybe we had better check with him before we go anywhere."

Telling himself to be more careful playing word games with this man, a relieved Mr. Bennet replied, "Yes, that would be best. But, if you did not come for golf, were you just passing by and decided to visit, or do you have a purpose for this call? By the way, did you see my daughter, Elizabeth, while you were on your way here?"

Darcy leaned back and crossed his legs, and steepled his hands in front of him, and thought to have his own fun. "Well, yes, actually there is a purpose. I met Miss Elizabeth during her walk this morning, and we talked about several things, such as her younger sisters and schools and how it would help them. Furthermore, Miss Elizabeth explained a bit more to me about Mrs. Bennet's fear of hedgerows, which I had heard of previously, and somehow it came about that I can help deal with this irrational dread she is suffering from, that causes her nerves to flutter so much. I can easily understand how those pesky hedgerows could be terrifying if they could not be avoided."

Mr. Bennet stared and blew out a breath, "Mr. Darcy, do you by any chance play chess?"

"Why yes, I do. Frequently. I was president of the Chess Club at Cambridge, and I do belong to the club in London, and almost always place within the top ten every year in the tournament. I have yet to be the champion, but I intend to keep trying. Are you fond of the game also, Mr. Bennet?" Now Darcy was a little puzzled, but was confident his game of words was equal to Mr. Bennet's. (He had managed to best Caroline Bingley, and this opponent was more intelligent, though he was not as dangerous.)

"As a matter of fact, devoted to it. You must know Lord Carlion at the chess club. He and I have been corresponding for years, playing our games. I know he was champion at the club on two occasions, which proves your ability to me." Mr. Bennet was heartened, he may be losing a daughter, but he was gaining an excellent chess opponent, plus that noted library. "Let us get back to the interesting subject of hedgerows, though, and my wife's fear of same." (Really, where was Darcy going with this?)

"All right, that is fair." Darcy paused, trying to organize the words in his head, while managing to keep the little smile. "Would you have any objections if I arranged for Mrs. Bennet to have a house, food, a few servants, and minor luxuries for as long as she lived, if you predeceased her? Eliza…uh, Miss Elizabeth feels that such a simple solution would calm her mother fears and anxiety considerably, and I have no doubt that I could easily take care of it."

Mr. Bennet looked at him with respect and chuckled, "I would have no choice except to concede this game and match, because you will not stop until I give you the mate." He rose and reached across his desk to shake his future son's hand.

Jane took one look at Lizzy entering her room and rushed to embrace her, "Oh Lizzy! You look so happy. He must have asked you. Hurry, tell me all about it while I finish fixing my hair."

Lizzy laughed merrily, "No, he did not ask me, but he somehow twisted words around so that we are going to be married. There is not time enough now, and I will tell you later. Oh, please Jane – would you mind if we shared the same day for our weddings?" At Jane's nod, she continued, "He is talking to Papa now, so we must hurry. Oh my, look at my hair, it is coming loose. Are you through with yours yet? I am so happy. Do you think I should try Mama's salts to stop these flutters? No? Jane, pinch me - I simply cannot stop talking. Ouch! You did not have to pinch that hard."

Episodes of giggling ensued for a short time, until, giving in to Lizzy's insistence on speed, they hurried to finish their hair and go downstairs.

Jane expected them to be the first to arrive for breakfast, but they faltered when they saw Mr. Bennet, with Mr. Darcy seated on his right, and both men were concentrating and murmuring to each other over a small pile of papers stacked between them. Jane took the chair to Mr. Bennet's left, and Lizzy sat next to her betrothed, expecting a warm, loving look and greeting, and perhaps, a forced smile from her father. Instead, she received a fast, happy glance and warm smile from both, and they rapidly returned their attention to the papers, which she now saw with dismay, were chess diagrams from her father's correspondent, Lawrence Carl…Carl-something. Before she could say anything, Mary and Kitty came into the room to start exchanging greetings, Lydia clattered down the stairs and rushed in, announcing that she was starving, before spotting Mr. Darcy sitting at the table, whereupon she sat silently, looking at her plate and pouting, but casting quick, baleful glances at her nemesis. Mrs. Bennet bustled in last of all, already talking about the problem of making time for a trip to London, when the sight of Mr. Darcy brought her to a sudden halt, causing Mrs. Hill, walking close behind her, to do some fancy footwork in order to avoid dropping a tray loaded down with plates of bacon and toast.

After everyone had been seated and provided with coffee or tea, the room was quiet while the girls and their mother gazed expectantly at Mr. Bennet and Mr. Darcy, who had interrupted their chess conference and looked back at them blankly for a moment or two, still thinking of the last move.

Mr. Bennet, deciding his new son needed more indoctrination to Bennet family life, said with a grin, "Mr. Darcy has come to discuss chess with me, and make an announcement to our family this morning. Since it is his idea, I will let him tell you all about it." He leaned over and whispered to Darcy, "I would start with the hedgerows if I were you!"

Lizzy heard the whisper and knit her brow, worried about what else besides chess that her father and her betrothed had managed to find in common.

Darcy (his glare at Mr. Bennet the equal of Lydia's glare at him) took a fortifying sip of coffee, (Oh, for Richard's walking stick at this moment!), and stood, managing to smile at his beloved's mother. "Mrs. Bennet, I have been informed that you have an uncommon fear of living in hedgerows, if Mr. Bennet should predecease you, so I have a solution to offer you for this problem. Would you be so kind as to listen to my suggestions?"

Mrs. Bennet, face blushing at the baring of her fears by an outsider, was bewildered by the reactions around the table. Lizzy's head was lowered, and she wore a wide smile, while Jane was struggling not to laugh. Mr. Bennet must have choked on something to be coughing that hard, and Mary's eyes seemed to be dancing as her hand smothered a giggle. Thank goodness the two youngest daughters looked as non-plussed as she felt. She finally nodded, frowning a little, "You were correct about the schools for my girls, Mr. Darcy, so of course I will listen to what you have to say."

Knowing how his cousin must have felt facing armed Frenchmen, Darcy started carefully, again thinking it through as he went. "Yes, thank you. I am going to settle a small amount of money on you, to gather interest and grow larger through the years. You will not be able to touch it as long as Mr. Bennet lives. But if, for any reason, you ever have to leave Longbourn, I will provide a suitable house for you to live in, with servants, and then you may access the income of the settlement. You will never have to worry about a home for yourself, or food on your table for as long as you live. Is this adequate, or would you need more?" he asked softly, and everyone listening knew that she had only to ask should she want more.

The silence in the room was absolute, as if no one was even breathing, and they watched spellbound, as tears slowly ran down her dazed face, one of her hands slowly rose a few inches, as if it was unbearably heavy, and she slowly closed her eyes and softly cried, "Oh, Mr. Darcy! Would you, could you… But that would mean you want…" and her voice faded as she could not continue, for she finally realized why Lizzy was smiling.

With tear-filled eyes, she looked up at Mr. Bennet, who had quietly risen to come and touch her shoulder, and he gently pulled her to her feet, and clasping an arm around her shoulders, slowly led her from the room, soothing her with soft reassurances that, indeed, her most troublesome daughter had succeeded beyond a mother's wildest dreams.

Darcy saw all of the Bennet daughters were also in tears, and somehow a frog had taken up residence in his own throat. He had not expected this reaction at all.

Elizabeth pushed her chair back to stand beside him, put her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. "Thank you so much. That was… just beautiful. Thank you."

Deciding his tactic had not turned out so badly after all, Darcy returned the hug, and kissing the top of her head, murmured, "I think we are scandalizing your sisters."

Lizzy stepped back, gave him a big smile, and pulling out a handkerchief, wiped her eyes, before turning to announce, "You will soon have another new brother besides Mr. Bingley!"

Jane caused everyone to stare as she rose, came around the table, hugged her soon-to-be-brother and kissed his cheek, saying, "Welcome to the family, Mr. Darcy!"

Delighted with the greeting, he returned the hug and said, "My name is William, or Wills, Jane. Is that all right?"

"It could not be better, William. The lady with the big smile should be called Mary, that other smiling lady is Kitty. The unhappy one who is not smiling is Lydia, but thanks to you, she will soon learn to express herself properly at school." Jane was ecstatic about Lizzy's engagement, and did not care how her youngest sister felt about it.

"I hope so, because when she has satisfactorily finished school, I can promise her a ball at my house in London. With such a pretty young woman being honoured, one who has acquired suitable conduct and manners, my cousin would be sure to invite all of the regular army captains and majors he knows, so they could also enjoy the ball." Darcy offered the unhappy sister this reward, hoping it would help. Lydia looked up at him, her eyes hopeful and questioning, trying to ascertain the sincerity of his statement. His eyes promised it was true, and he nodded firmly. Lydia nodded back and settled back in her chair, still not smiling, but no longer pouting either. Darcy decided neutrality would serve everyone better than open enmity.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet came back into the room, and he returned to his chair, but Mrs. Bennet came to stand beside Darcy and extend her hand. "Thank you. You can not know how much your offer relieves my mind. I am afraid, though, that I do have to ask you – Lizzy is such a odd girl, what with her books and impertinence, are you positive you want to marry her?"

Bewildered at the question, but sensing Mrs. Bennet needed affirmation, he took her hand between both of his, flashed his dimples, and stated, "She is no more odd than I am, with my books, and my proud ways. Somehow we match, and I am sure that I want her as my wife. Do you think you can arrange a double wedding celebration, with Jane and Bingley, or do we need to enlist Miss Bingley for assistance?" He knew that suggestion would settle his question, and instead of shaking her hand, he raised it and gave a gentle kiss. (His mind was staggering with astonishment at his actions – when did he turn into his cousin? Yes, people seemed to do what he wanted them to – was it really this easy to bend people to his will? Later, Darce, not now.)

"Oh no, the girls and I can manage. I will need to know how many of your friends and relatives will be here, but I cannot think about that at this time." She turned to go to her chair, "The food must be cold by now, I had better send it back to the kitchen."

Lizzy's stomach chose that instant to gurgle loudly, prompting giggles and laughter all around, while she reddened and offered excuses.

Mr. Bennet, hungry enough not to wait for more food to be brought, said, "It cannot be that cold. We will pretend it is another picnic, and therefore, cold food will not matter. It is not every day another one of my daughters gets engaged, although it is starting to seem that way. Mary? Kitty? Lydia? Do you have any young men hiding outside waiting their turn? No? Well, let us eat. I am sure it will be delicious, no matter the temperature."

And it was delicious, with many pleasant remarks, and lots of teasing and smiles taking place, while the food disappeared as if by magic. They were finishing the last few bites and enjoying more hot coffee or tea, when Bingley was ushered into the room.

"Here you are, Darcy! We wondered where you had vanished to. Good morning to everyone else. It is a splendid day outside." Pulling an extra chair from the wall, Bingley sat between Jane and Mr. Bennet.

"A very splendid day," Mr. Bennet confirmed. "It seems that I am gaining another son, and you will have another brother after all."

Elated at the news, Bingley thought he might extract some revenge for the teasing he had endured. "Really? How wonderful. When and how did this happen, Miss Kitty?" and he waited while she blushed and stammered her innocence. "Miss Mary? Not you either? Miss Lydia?" and chuckled at her glare, "Miss Elizabeth, I am truly happy for you, but as your future brother and protector, I must warn you, this man is not what he seems to be."

Lizzy laughed, "I know that well, but I will take him as he is anyway. He threatened that his black scowl would become permanent, and swore he would spend the rest of his life looking out of the window if he could not marry me. There was nothing to do but give up."

"Dear me, you mean from now on we will have to look at his face instead of seeing only his back? What will happen in this world next, I wonder?" Bingley was having fun, but leaned forward a little to speak softly to Darcy. "Your sister is rather concerned about you. Richard and I tried to reassure her, but she was getting anxious."

Darcy was puzzled. "I have often been out riding for a longer time than this."

Bingley rolled his eyes. "She was not worried about your physical well-being, she was concerned that Lizzy – uh, Miss Elizabeth – had said 'no,' and you were too upset to come home. Richard and I tried to tell her everything would be all right, but… to no avail. Then Anne came downstairs and sent me here, and if I do not return right away to start a search and appease your sister, the three of them will be here as soon as Anne has breakfast, and the phaeton and Richard's horse are ready." He grinned and raised his voice a little, "Mrs. Bennet, you will be having more company within the half-hour to add their congratulations."

"Oh, dear! I had better tell Polly we will need more tea and coffee." Mrs. Bennet was in a flurry of excitement, but mysteriously, her nerves were not fluttering at all.

"Was I the last person to learn about this marriage?" Lizzy asked, turning to look at Darcy curiously.

"Do not feel too bad, I was the next to last. Think about Aunt Eleanor, whom you have not even met yet, ordering the invitations for our ball last week, based on news from Richard. My family can be rather ridiculous at times." Darcy was complaining, but his voice was soft and his eyes glowing with love.

Lizzy smiled back with equally loving eyes, "No worse than mine, as we both know, so let us never argue about families again." She glanced around the room, "I had not envisioned spending this first day with you surrounded by our relatives. But I suppose things could be worse."

He grinned. "As long as you were there, I could endure being stranded at Rosings with only Aunt Catherine and Mr. Collins for company." They both laughed at that terrible possibility.

Bingley was still bent on revenge. "Darcy, you can never again mention the daft look on my face when I talk to Jane, because I am going to fetch a mirror so you can see how daft you look when you talk to Miss Elizabeth."

Darcy's cheeks started to redden, and became almost scarlet when Lizzy added, "Well, I happen to think he looks wonderful – much nicer than that teasing future brother of mine! And, by the way, are you by any chance angry at all of your sisters? I do not want to hear you call me 'Miss Elizabeth' again – my name is Lizzy, and I am sure that your other new sisters feel the same way."

Bingley jumped up, moved around the table, holding out his hand, "Lizzy! It is such a pleasure to meet you. My name is Charles!" and after bowing with a flourish to shake her hand, he moved around the table to introduce himself – with flourishes - to Mary, Kitty, and Lydia before resuming his seat beside Jane again.

Shaking his head, Darcy rolled his eyes and started to applaud lightly, and was quickly joined by a smiling Mr. Bennet. Mrs. Bennet returned, and the cause of all the merriment had to be explained to her, and Mr. Bingley had to demonstrate his bow and flourish for her to admire. His countenance beaming with fun, Bingley added several more flourishes, and was demonstrating his ability to retreat while facing and bowing to royalty, causing applause and cries of approval from the onlookers, when he backed into Georgiana, who was hurrying into the room.

Georgie managed not only to stay on her own feet, but grabbed Bingley's arm to prevent him from falling, then she pulled off a hasty curtsey and greeting to Mrs. Bennet, before spotting her brother and rushing around to him. Coming to a halt, she somehow achieved another bobbing curtsey and murmured greeting to Mr. Bennet, before clutching Darcy's arm and pleading, "Did she say yes, Wills? Did she?"

Desperately trying to look forlorn, Darcy closed his eyes, hung his head, and replied sadly, "No, Georgie. I hate to tell you this, but she said no."

Richard, Anne, Hurst, and Louisa who had just entered the dining room halted, with widened eyes and disbelief plainly writ on their faces upon hearing Darcy's statement.

"Oh, Wills! "Georgie wailed, "That is impossible. You must have done it wrong!" and she turned to Lizzy, "He is sorry for whatever he did, Lizzy. Change your mind and say yes."

Lizzy just giggled, "I simply cannot change my answer. It will remain no. You see…"

Anne interrupted her, "Calm down, Georgie! They are teasing you; look at their faces. 'Fess up, Darce – what were the exact words you used?"

Darcy wrinkled his nose at his cousin for spoiling his fun, and grinned at his sister. "I asked her if she could think of any reason not to marry me. She answered 'No,' she could not think of any reason not to marry me. What could be plainer that that?"

Georgie frowned at him, pleased but annoyed, "That is a silly way to propose to someone. Why would you do such a thing?"

Unthinking, he thought to tease her by replying, "I swore to never ask her to marry me again after she refused my proposal at Easter. As you can see, not asking her has turned out well. She said no, and we will be married." He grinned at his sister and reached over to pick up Lizzy's hand and kiss it.

"WHAT!" Shrieked Mrs. Bennet. "Again! Easter! You asked her to marry you before, and she refused? Oh my! Lizzy, how could you? Tell him you are sorry and take it back! You must say yes! Tell him!" Her handkerchief was fluttering.

Alarmed, Jane hastened to her side, "Mama, it is all right. That is long past, and they are going to marry." She held some tea for Mrs. Bennet to sip. "Everything has been put right. Lizzy will be married and so will I. The girls are going away to school to become proper young ladies, and you do not even have to worry about living in the hedgerows anymore."

It took a few anxious moments of Jane's soothing before Mrs. Bennet subsided and brightened. "That is so. Still..." and she glanced down the table and scolded loudly, "Lizzy, you are the most unnatural girl. First, you refuse to marry Mr. Collins, and then you refuse Mr. Darcy. Good heavens child, I can only hope your younger sisters are more sensible than that." Resigned, but thankful the child had enough wit to change her mind and marry the man anyway, she sipped more tea.

Lizzy turned scarlet when all eyes fastened on her in surprise, but Anne rose to the occasion with glee, pronouncing with simulated awe, "Lizzy! You turned down the prancing parson, Mr. Collins, only to marry my idiotic cousin? I thought you were surely more intelligent than that."

That remark did Richard and Hurst in, and they barely managed to stumble to chairs along the wall before they collapsed laughing. Louisa pulled up a chair between Mary and Mrs. Bennet, and repressing her giggles, quickly steered the talk to lace and flowers. Darcy found the thought of Mr. Collins and his Lizzy to be nauseating, but her extreme embarrassment at the revelation was amusing. (She had bent over, below table level, with a very red face hidden in her hands, moaning threats audibly.) Mr. Bennet was wishing for a playwright (Moliere? Shakespeare?), who could have captured the events of the morning with words that would remain fresh and vivid forever. It had been years, if ever, since the house had been this merry; even Lydia was smiling and talking again.

Polly, with foreknowledge gathered from the servants' grapevine, entered with a tray holding not one, but two, of her large dense cakes, and Mrs. Hill was behind her with another large tray holding bowls of mixed fruit, and more bowls of Polly's special, but notoriously potent brandy sauce. Last came a maid with dessert plates to take around the table as the treat was served.

Within a half-hour, Mr. Bennet thought a retreat from the happy uproar would be welcome, so he invited the other gentlemen to his study for celebratory cigars. Casting a keen glance at the flushed female faces, he judged that toasts to commemorate the day should be delayed until the evening. Women – such strange creatures! He would never have imagined seeing his wife, his daughter Mary, Miss Darcy and Mrs. Hurst whispering and giggling in a circle at the other end of the table. Fitzwilliam and Hurst were easily started moving, but he needed their help prodding his two future sons to their feet and away from his daughters.

Mr. Bennet stood beside his wife to wave goodbye as a very happy Mr. Hurst drove off in Anne's phaeton with Mrs. Hurst, probably to take the most roundabout way back to Netherfield. Lydia and Kitty set off walking towards Lucas Lodge to bring the neighbours up to date on the latest excitement at Longbourn. (He was looking forward to the letter he would receive when the news reached his cousin at Hunsford – at least two pages of lamentations, if not three.) Mary and Georgie were returning inside to try and conquer a Haydn something or other that was inexplicably causing their fingers to strike the wrong keys. The two loving couples were setting off on a stroll, chaperoned by Miss de Bourgh and the Colonel. He cast a sardonic eye at the chaperones, wondering when they were going to become aware of their own feelings for each other. He told Mrs. Bennet that she should go rest while she had the chance, before everyone returned and amazed them anew. As for him, a glass of port and a short nap in the silence of his study would be perfect.

Concerned, Richard looked at his cousin, "Are you positive you are not too tired, Annie?"

"I am fine, in fact after all the brandy sauce and plans and fun, a nice quiet walk will be perfect, so stop worrying about me."

"Oh, I am not worried about you at all! I am worried about me, if I take you back to Netherfield and Sally says you have been doing too much. If that happened, I would be safer going back on the continent, and I am not even going to think of what my mother would say. Besides, we have a wedding coming up, and do not forget that two new babes will arrive soon in the family." He grinned as she cast a pointed look at him.

"I wonder what your mother is going to do; stay for the wedding, or go to help with Arabella or Freddie? I do not envy her this decision, because she simply can not be all three places at once. On top of that, she has decided to give a ball two weeks after the wedding to introduce Elizabeth and me to society!"

"Well, I could swear I heard her mumbling about how she would not have to disappoint one of her children that was giving her another grandchild, because of being unable to leave until after both had been born. She was fretting quite a bit, until she decided that staying in town and giving the ball would prevent her from having to make the choice. I thought she could probably manage all three occasions with fast carriage horses, but Father and Sophy both threatened to banish me if I mentioned it to her." Richard thought his idea had been quite sound, but prudently did not say a word to his mother after his father warned him.

"You could have suggested one of those hot-air balloons that travel through the air for miles and miles," Anne offered with a smile.

"There is that, but they just go wherever the wind takes them, so until there is a way to guide them, they are mainly for science and adventurers." Through the Whitehall rumor mill, Richard had heard that several years ago, Napoleon had started a hot-air balloon factory – the thought of being spied on from the sky was not pleasant. "And then there is the problem of where and how you land. What if you are over a forest, or a lake, or steep mountains. Very impractical, if you ask me."

"Very impractical, and if you or anyone else I love goes up in one, I will try to equal my mother in being unpleasant to them." Anne scolded.

"Oh!" Richard was taken aback, and strangely, his face heated for an unknown reason, and he decided a new subject was needed - immediately. "Sophy said to tell you if you see Rivenhart riding up, you need to tell him I have gone to stay with my regiment or some other inconvenient place where he could not find me for a while."

"Why in the world… Oh! My horse. Richard, please do not tell me that is one of his horses!" Anne was awestruck at his daring.

"She was not his quite yet! When I mentioned at dinner one night that I needed a horse for you, Sophy said that Rivenhart had planned to purchase Little Bess ever since she was a young foal, but he had not actually done the deed yet, since he had to leave suddenly for Devon after it flooded. I knew that if he wanted the mare, she had to be good, so I talked to Father and then nipped down to see her, took one look, and now you have a horse. He will calm down in a week or two because I stole her for you, not for myself. Perhaps if I hinted your mother was against it, he would even congratulate me." He cast her a proud, but cocky smile.

Anne grinned back, but a thought struck her, so she asked curiously, "Who bought her for me? You or Uncle Henry?"

"You bought her for yourself, or rather the Rosings estate did, as an investment. If her foals are anywhere near her quality, you will make a tidy profit. You might consider promising one to the irritated horse-mad cousin you took her from, and maybe he will calm down a little." Richard preened at the thought of appeasing his brother.

"But I was under the impression Rosings was in debt." Anne's mother had taught her the basics of running an estate, without letting her see the actual figures at Rosings, or allowing her to perform the necessary actions. "If that is so, there is not much sense in spending money on things I do not need. So, tell me, where did Rosings get the money?"

Now Richard was irritated – what in the world was she quibbling about – she loved the horse, did she not? "I am not sure. I think Father or Darcy, or perhaps both, is loaning Rosings the money. My part was finding possible workmen for Rosings, and your doctors, and buying you a new phaeton and horse. For heaven's sake, Annie, you know that you love both of them! But if you wish to rid yourself of them, I bet my brother will buy Little Bess for more than I paid, and I can probably find a buyer for the phaeton also. Any money you lose I will pay to Rosings myself. Will that satisfy you and make you happy? You never questioned where the money was coming from when you went shopping, so why are you worrying about this?" Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam – sans uniform - had stopped and was towering over Anne with his arms crossed across his chest.

Anne turned and looked up, blue eyes blazing, her hands clenched into fists, her voice raised and echoing crossly, "Richard Fitzwilliam! You had better not shout at me as if I was one of your soldiers! Why you always have to act as if you were a dictator is beyond belief. I can remember when…" She began to recite the 'older cousin maxims' he had issued when she was a mere thirteen years old, "and then you had the gall to tell me that I could not… "

"That is enough, you two." Darcy interrupted. When he heard their voices start to rise, he had turned and hurried back from the short distance in front of them. "You know better than to make a scene in public! I do not know what you are fighting about this time, but you sound just like you did fifteen or twenty years ago, and it is ridiculous. Stop at once!"

Anne would not have any part of calming down, and rounded on Darcy, "You had better not act like the high and mighty Master of Pemberley with me, Will Darcy. I want to know where the money is coming from to buy all of these clothes, and furniture, and horses, and all… all of the rest of these things. Is it Rosings? You? Uncle Henry? Tell me now, so I know."

It was Darcy's turn to be irritated at her demand, "Uncle Henry and I have it all in hand, and you do not need to know, or ask us, about any of it. We are taking care of it, exactly as we told you we would, and you and Richard do not need to concern yourselves about trifles!"

Richard's temper flared at the dismissal of his own, and Anne's, interests and involvement, and with his face reddening, he looked at Darcy and bellowed, "Trifles! A three hundred pound horse is not a trifle and furthermore…" And the family battle was joined as three opposing forces clashed.

Lizzy, joined by Jane and Bingley, stood a few feet away, listening and watching with stunned faces, while the trio of loud angry cousins argued back and forth. By now the three combatants were dragging childhood grievances out from buried memory, and hurling them with renewed ire after having lain dormant for so long. Lizzy leaned over and muttered to the other two, "They sound almost identical to Lydia and Kitty at their worst! Or Lydia, Kitty, and me!"

"Or the way Caroline, Louisa, and I sound when we fight!" contributed Bingley, with a laugh.

Bingley's laugh started Jane to giggling, with Lizzy's ringing glee joining in, and soon, if someone had passed by, they would have paused to puzzle over the two diversely occupied groups. During a brief moment's pause in the argument, Richard whirled around at the sound of the laughter, ready to punish the miscreants who were laughing so boldly at him, but halted, surprised at the three people he saw, and then Darcy's voice rang out, "…and as a result – your royal Rosings majesty - my father punished me because of the cake you had stolen, and Sophy and I were completely innocent of any wrongdoing!"

"Royal Rosings majesty!" Richard grinned and held his arms up in mock surrender. "Very good, Darce, I have not heard that insult in years. If this is the same incident I am thinking of, Miles and I were also punished along with my sister and you. Annie, that was a huge piece of cake; you could not possibly have eaten all of it, so what did you do with it?"

Anne paused, lost some of her stiff posture, made a face, and admitted, "I gave it to the dogs. They loved it."

Darcy's face went scarlet, as he rolled his eyes and then closed them, shaking his head and moaning with mortification, "What am I doing? I must have lost my senses standing in a road and arguing with you two… evil, wicked cousins. We must have sounded just like…" he paused.

"Lydia and Kitty?" Jane suggested, and Bingley repeated, "Caroline, Louisa, and me!" and that started everyone laughing and teasing, with long forgotten childhood pranks being recalled and related while they sauntered along together, instead of widely separated as couples. It was not many minutes, however, before Darcy and Elizabeth had drawn ahead in some manner, and noticing this – as an alert soldier should – Richard slowed Anne down in order for Bingley and Jane to be about twenty-five feet ahead.

"Before we go any further, I have to confess that I made a mistake last night, and it concerns you," Richard admitted.

Anne thought a minute, "I cannot remember any mistake you made. It must have happened when we separated after dinner."

"No, it was during dinner. Remember when I said that Georgie could attend Bingley's ball, and of course, Darcy promised her the first set?" When she nodded, he went on, "He looked upset, and I knew he was worried about Elizabeth, so I told him to ask her to save the first set for me. Being Darcy, he remembered such a thing, even while he was getting engaged, and he asked her to save the dance for me, and she said yes."

"Of course, she would! I would do the same thing," Anne said, puzzled.

"That is the mistake!" Richard said ruefully. "I should have been your first partner for your first ball, and now I cannot do it."

"Oh!" Anne stopped, blushing, and was almost overcome with confusion, because just seconds ago, she had not known how much she wanted him to be her first dance partner. Head down, she started walking again, hoping her embarrassment was not that obvious. "That is no problem, because I just will not dance the first set, and you and I will have the second set together."

"No, that is not right. You deserve to have the first set, and it is going to be with me." Richard was adamant. "I do not yet know how I will be able to do this without hurting Elizabeth's feelings and irritating Darce, but somehow I will find a way." He grinned down at her. "You must remember not to promise the first set to anyone else. All right, Spitfire?"

"Oho! Big Mean Richard is finally here. I had better say yes, or we will fight again." She smiled back, and they resumed their chaperon duties.

Darcy looked down at Elizabeth, "I must apologize for that miserable behaviour. I…I do not know what to say, except I will never act in such a manner again." He started to blush anew.

"Au contraire! If you truly wish to marry me, please promise me that every now and then you will behave in a manner similar to everyone else."

"That reply requires an explanation." He stated with puzzled eyes.

"Do you wish to be married to someone who never would do anything wrong or improper? Someone who is perfect in every respect? If so, you cannot possibly wish to marry me, because no matter how hard I try, I can not be perfect." Lizzy's eyes were smiling, but her tone said she was in earnest.

"But you are perfect for me! I do not want anyone else." he protested.

"Exactly!" she declared in triumph. "You are not a perfect human being, but you are perfect for me, arguments with your cousins notwithstanding. Why, all of the Bennet sisters, and even Jane and I have loud arguments now and then – not often, with Jane – but she does get upset if she sees me being unfair. And, as you know only too well, I do occasionally make errors in judgement. Perhaps you and your cousins should arrange to have a fight about silly things every three or four years, just to remember how much of your lives you share. Why, I bet you have not thought of some of those incidents for a long time, and now you are laughing about them. Go ahead, admit it! You know it is true. I am going to pry the details about that cake stealing prank, and your subsequent punishment from every one of you, in order that I know what really happened."

"You are correct. In fact, knowing we do not have to be perfect may be a relief for both of us. However, I do feel that there is one area we should strive for perfection immediately, but I do not know how to arrange it. Perhaps you can help."

Seeing how his eyes were dancing, paired with a big grin, she was wary, "You, sir, look like you want to get into some mischief, and I do not think I will help with that!"

"Oohhh! All I want to do is discover how proficient we have become. Imagine! We have not practiced for hours and I do not want to lose what little expertise we have gained." His voice was pleading, if laughing.

"We would have to either elude or dispense with four other people to manage that. Jane and Charles probably would not notice if we disappear, or not be aware of it quickly, but your two cousins are a different matter altogether, if only to tease us." Her tone suggested she was considering solutions to the problem.

"Surely, during your years of rambling, you have found a few places we could hide for a few minutes."

Lizzy smiled, enchanting him even more with the sparkling look she gave him, "I know many places where no one would find us. But, as I said, I do not know how to escape our relations." Then, she frowned, "Wait, if we return to Longbourn and walk in the garden, there are several secluded benches and trellises and arbors, that are quiet places to think philosophical thoughts. Or yes, I could say I needed to practice… my singing… a few of the songs I sing, need to be improved. Would that please you?"

"I would be delighted to listen, or even join you. There should probably not be as many observers in the garden, and if there were, a few sour notes from me would drive them off." Her idea had the merit of simplicity.

"Sir, I will have you know that I pride myself on my vocal abilities, and would be most reluctant to purposely hurt anyone's sense of melody." She raised a brow at him.

"Ah, I see I will have to grant you one area of perfection after all. Now, let us turn around, or do you know a shorter way home?" His smile somehow made her knees wobbly – maybe they should return before she fell down.

The grape arbor was perfect for Darcy's pursuit of perfection, with two small benches nestled under the shady trellis overhead and the two walls angled together, while the dim interior caused the sunlit garden outside to appear dazzling. But nothing could take his attention from the lovely lady who was turning to him with her beautiful eyes shining with love, and stepping into his welcoming arms. No words were needed, or indeed, were capable of being said, because their kiss occupied all thoughts, as they endeavored to convey, by lips and tongues alone, the passion each was feeling. Darcy, as previously, surrendered to the inevitable first, and moved his head aside to resort to caressing her cheek, earlobe, and neck with a trail of light kisses and murmurs of love and adoration.

Lizzy, expecting the thrilling rush of warmth she had felt before, was almost overcome with the tumult of passion stirring with her. She gasped out "Oh, Wills!" and tightening her arms around his neck, attempted to join her body to his by the force of her embrace.

Rejoicing in her inexperience, while suffering from the reactions of his traitorous body, Darcy raised his head from her neck, he tightened his grip on her body enough to lift her feet clear of the floor, and turning, sat on one of the benches with Lizzy on his lap. (If she did not wiggle and squirm too much, he might recover enough to stand in a few minutes.) "My love, if we do not stop for a short time, I am afraid we will have to elope before the day is out. It is either that, or I will have to cease thinking ill of people for improper behaviour, because my own will be most unsuitable."

"What can I do to assist you in this? If you do not mind telling me what I have done that is improper, I will be sure to refrain from doing it again." Lizzy was eager to help in this matter, since prolonging the duration of kissing him promised more delight to her senses.

Darcy grinned and kissed her cheek, saying with a small laugh, "I am afraid that is the problem – you are doing exactly what I want and hope you will continue to do, after we are married. Presently however, my self-control seems to diminish when you are close to me, and it vanishes completely whenever we kiss and hold each other."

"Oh!" Lizzy almost asked him to explain it – whatever it was - to her, when she realized that his doing so was an impossibility. "Mama has been muttering about lace and gowns, and she is trying to plan a trip to London. If Jane and I were to accompany her, I could talk to Aunt Gardiner and, as we both are aware, knowledge is power."

"Did you know that a beautiful woman, who quotes Francis Bacon to me, might cause me to fall in love with her?" He went back to nuzzling her neck in that spot right below her ear, that caused her entire body to shiver and tingle.

"That may well happen, but when you react so lovingly, a woman loses her ability to remember what any author has written." Putting her hand under his chin, she raised his face until their lips met again.

Darcy endured it as long as he could – perhaps two minutes – and then lifted her body from his lap to the bench beside him. "Enough, again, my dear. I fear that the more we practice, the less I can manage to… well… manage." Keeping one arm around her shoulders to cuddle her close; he picked up her other hand to kiss it, but kept holding it while he decided that counting leaves in the trellis overhead was a valuable occupation for a few minutes. 'Anything to occupy my mind except her!'

After a moment, Lizzy kissed his hand and – correctly assuming he was coping with a man's troubles - ventured, "I will talk to Mama this evening about going to London. However, I did hear Papa say that he would need the horses for the next week or two, so we could not leave right away. But I will write a letter to Aunt Madeline tomorrow asking for advice."

He thought about what she said for a few seconds, and started to laugh and tease. "Now that I can help with – I thought the gossip had reached you, and you already knew that I am worth ten thousand a year. Dearest, I have horses and carriages to spare, and truly, two carriages with attendant horses and coachmen are sitting idle at Netherfield right now. You tell me when you want to leave and they will be here at your door, along with Anne and Georgie, I am sure."

Lizzy teased back, "A strange betrothal indeed! Horses and carriages in abundance, but kisses are allowed to be given only sparingly until after the wedding. Is this one of those peculiar habits of people in the first circles of society? And may I ask, sir, who is going to instruct me in these unfamiliar niceties of social affairs?"

He grinned, dimples flashing, and stood, pulling her up beside him. "I will be your teacher and you will be my only student. I predict you will learn quickly and be a star performer. But, for now, let us find out how long my vaunted self-control will last if you spare me another kiss."

To Darcy's sorrow - and his exquisite joy - her response to his intense feelings removed the last fragment of restraint he still possessed, and he quickly raised his head. "If we continue, you will be ravished by your intended before the sun sets."

Lizzy, her face flushed and eyes glazed with desire, did not immediately discard the idea, but sadly, common sense returned and she lowered her arms, pulling away from him a trifle. "I think if I sit on one bench and you sit on the other, it might help. I do not like the idea at all, but it might be wise." She looked up at him apologetically.

Holding her face between his hands he bent down to give her a light, but tender kiss. "A wife as wise as she is beautiful and passionate, is a treasure indeed."

They had been seated only a short time, gazing contentedly at one another and saying soft words of love and endearment, when voices were heard coming closer and Darcy's two cousins appeared on the path.

"Here is their hiding place!" crowed Richard. "Mrs. Bennet has commanded us to find both stray couples and bring them inside for luncheon. Bingley and Miss Bennet could not find as remote a hideaway as you discovered, and are on their way, but now you must also give up your seclusion and associate with ordinary people again."

"Richard, what is the army thinking by leaving you in this country? I am going to have to remind them that you exist, and you are ready to serve in a remote outpost in Canada." Darcy complained.

"And here I thought you loved me!" exclaimed Richard.

"Not you – just your walking stick!"

Laughing and joking, the happy couple and the (Soon to be happy?) other couple returned to the house for luncheon.

THE END -- (For Now)