Lizzy rose early, quickly prepared herself to meet Mr. Darcy, and left the house before anyone else was even awake. She skipped along, confident that he would be where they had always met before and possibly even arrive before her.

Upon approaching the spot, she saw him standing there beside his horse and grinned at him for all she was worth. She would have run to him if she thought she could have done it without possible prying eyes seeing her, but instead contented herself with the pace she already kept. There was no need to hurry, as he was coming to meet her half way. The path followed along the tree line and, when they finally came together, he took her by the hand and pulled her into the trees and behind one of them so they were out of sight of anyone who might be nearby. Pulling her close to him, they looked at one another with the fragile feelings of newly found and reciprocated love. He reached out his hand, barely touching her hair at first, until he read the same anticipation in her eyes. He then leaned in and kissed her with the tender longing that had built within him since they last had met. Her lips offered his delicate caresses in return, encouraging him to hold her slender form closer and prolong the moment of their reunion in gentle intimacy.

“Good morning, Elizabeth.” His eyes were as soft as his voice as he spoke her name. Their fingers intertwined, he led her back onto the path.

“And good morning to you also, Sir! I must say it is a fine one.”

Smiling knowingly at each other, they walked on toward their favourite breakfast spot. After some moments of such looks passing between them, she finally spoke.

“Mr. Darcy, I must ask you something. I have written a letter to Jane in which I share our news. I know we spoke of not telling anyone just yet, but I found I needed to shout my joy to someone, and I think she would best understand at this moment as she is in the same happy state that I find myself. I have asked her not to tell anyone, which I know she will not, but I must know that you would not mind that I do this before I send the letter. Would that be acceptable to you? I know it is possible that she may tell Mr. Bingley, but he would be the only one I am sure.”

Darcy smiled to her cordially, silently berating himself for his doubting her yesterday when he had talked to Brougham. “Of course it would. I am not surprised that you would like to share the news with your dearest sister. I think you two must be very close to each other. At least, you, my dear, are very protective of her, are you not? I only hope that she will describe Bingley’s reaction to you, for I am sure he will have trouble believing it, and I would be sorry to miss the sight all together.”

“I would not wish to deprive you of telling him yourself then. I will wait until I see Jane in person.”

“Nonsense,” he encouraged her. “You have already written the letter, have you not?” At her nod he continued, “I honestly do not mind that you send it, especially since it is the only way you can give her the news herself. You will not be able to see her before I visit your father.”

“You are sure?” His smile was all the encouragement she needed. “I know she will share it with me. If she does not in a letter then she will when I see her, and I will be certain to relay it to you.

“I assume he will be surprised because you have kept your feelings very close.” Her curiosity now piqued, she hesitated nonetheless before adding, “You had not shared them with Mr. Bingley and yet you told Lord Brougham?”

“I am generally a very private man and most protective of my feelings. I had no wish to share them with Brougham. He had guessed too much, and I could never bring myself to deny my feelings for you. Bingley knew nothing, and being aware of my previous objections to his marriage with your sister, he probably would never suspect me of marrying myself into that very family.”

Darcy fell silent for a while before he spoke again, “Elizabeth, you are the only person in all the world with whom I want to share all of my secrets. I do not even feel myself capable of keeping something from you, however, I reserve the right of surprising you.”

She glowed at his words. “I am most happy you feel that way, for I would wish for nothing else but for us to be so close and to support each other in all ways. I will look forward to your surprising me. In fact, I will cherish such moments... as long as the surprise is not something like an announcement of an extended visit from Miss Bingley, for I would wish for more of a warning in that case.” She laughed.

“If Miss Bingley pays us such a visit it will only be at Mrs. Darcy’s invitation.” He squeezed her hand lightly and was rewarded with her smile.

“Might we talk for a moment about Jane and Mr. Bingley? Will you tell me what hand you had, if any, in his returning to Netherfield?” she asked.

He looked sheepishly at her before revealing the details of his last encounter with his friend. “Bingley and I had a conversation in London before he left. I asked him about his plans regarding Netherfield and tried to estimate his current feelings. It seemed he still loved your sister, so I told him I was mistaken in my previous assessment of her feelings for him and that, if he still cared for her, he might go to Longbourn and try his luck. I also relayed her visit to London to him. I think he was too happy and excited to hold it against me for long, although I am sure I do not deserve such gracefulness in this case. He left for Netherfield the very next day.”

“I see. I thank you for taking my words about Jane's feelings to heart when I shared them with you. It means a great deal to me to know you would look again at the situation, especially since Mr. Bingley so values your opinions. You have made two people very happy.”

“I truly hope that you do not think me so conceited as to overlook another’s opinion only because it is not my own. However, I warned him that it did not necessarily mean your sister loved him. I told him he would have to judge her current feelings for himself.”

“It is now quite happily apparent that he did exactly that.”

Another thought struck her. “Mr. Darcy, I am afraid that your friend will not be the only Bingley who will be surprised by our eventual announcement. Miss Bingley will be another. I think you must already know she had future hopes concerning you. Even I could see that.”

They had just reached their place by the river. He secured his horse and retrieved a blanket for them.

“Elizabeth, I assume very few missed seeing Miss Bingley’s intentions and efforts. I am afraid she was much more obvious in her wishes than I was in mine. In fact I think that more hopes than hers will be dashed with our announcement, but I truly am not going to be bothered by any of that. Actually, I am most thankful that you, my brave siren, will be my shield against any husband hunters now.”

He guided her to the blanket and bent his head to kiss her hand gently before releasing it. “Can we forget about any other women for now? Do you have any idea how much I have missed you since yesterday?”

“I might have got some indication after you pulled me behind that first tree immediately upon my arrival, but I am not adverse to being shown again – just to be sure I did not miss it.”

He joined her on the blanket, stretching his legs alongside hers so that his boots would not soil it, and smiled at her cheekily. His eyes twinkled as he looked at her, but his voice softened as soon as she met his gaze.

“Come,” he whispered, caressing her chin with the tips of his fingers.

He moved his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her close for a long unhurried kiss, revelling in the sensation of her nearness, teaching her new lessons with his mouth. When he eventually opened his eyes the flush of her countenance was so becoming that he could not help but gently taste her lips again.

“I could hardly sleep,” he whispered, his lips still lingering near hers. “I thought only of you, longing to hold you in my arms again. I spent the whole evening in my room trying to read but could not comprehend even one sentence. Elizabeth, I now only wonder why I had ever thought my life would be easier if I knew I had your love. You torture me mercilessly, my heart.”

She felt a shiver travel down her entire body. My heart. She smiled in her thoughts.

“I did not fare well either. All evening I could only think that I should have let you carry me to the nearest church. But you must admit this is much better than the way it was before.”

He traced his fingers back to her chin. “Better? Elizabeth, there is no greater happiness in the whole universe than the knowledge that I have your love. He brushed her lips with his and whispered, “How was your day then?”

She leaned against him and buried her head in his chest. “The beginning was quite lovely, the rest was very long,” she sighed.

He enveloped her in his arms and kissed her hair lightly. “What has happened, dearest?”

“Much, I suppose, but yet nothing at all out of the ordinary,” she said, not wishing to complain about things that could not be changed, but he brought her face up so that he could look at her, and at his quizzical gaze, she added, “It is simply the situation as it stands at Rosefarm. But there is nothing for you to worry over. I shall cope with it well enough as long as I have you to look forward to somewhere in my day.”

He stroked her hair. “If you do not wish to tell me I will understand, but I will worry all the same. If something bothers you I would like to assist you.”

She gave him a reassuring smile.

“There is nothing I would wish to keep from you, only that I would not like to burden you with things you cannot fix for me.”

“Please, Elizabeth, you cannot think so.” His concern seemed even greater than hers since he did not know the reason behind it. “Just this morning you told me yourself that you desire us to support each other in all ways. I do not wish for you to spare me from troubles, especially when they are yours.”

“It is my aunt actually, part of it anyway. I was required to walk to the post with Monsieur Vian yesterday and could not find a way around it. My aunt is used to having me entertain him, you see, and my cousin was away. It was, of course, uncomfortable, but it is just one example of how things are complicated for me there.”

“Monsieur Vian?” In Elizabeth’s presence Darcy had almost forgotten about Brougham’s news yesterday, so the reminder now was indeed most unpleasant. “Pray, how did he behave?”

“He did not do anything inappropriate. He apologised in fact, or attempted to. I am afraid I was not very gracious in my acceptance of it, but that was not his fault but rather my own feelings on the matter.”

She observed him carefully for any indication of how this subject might be affecting him, but he was silent, his thoughts well hidden behind a seemingly impartial countenance.

Eventually he spoke. “Do you think it might be helpful if we told your aunt about our engagement?”

“I do not think so. It would not provide any reasons for me not to spend time in close proximity with a family member. That would only be remedied by revealing what happened the day of the fair, and that we cannot do for obvious reasons.”

No, indeed, Darcy thought. It would not do to expose Elizabeth’s predicament with the gentleman, and most likely she would not want to hurt her aunt’s feelings concerning him, but the thought of her alone in Vian’s company was not any easier for him.

“If we told your aunt that we are engaged, and I asked her not to allow you to be alone in the presence of the gentleman, would she not comply?”

She pulled away from him a little. It was clear that he did not have a full understanding of the situation as it was with her aunt, nor a true picture of her aunt’s stubbornness.

“I do not think Mrs. Tournier would take well to any such request, Mr. Darcy, without an explanation that matched it. But then that would defeat the purpose.”

Darcy looked a bit confused. His next words were composed carefully. “Elizabeth, forgive me if I sound presumptuous, but would your aunt not care about satisfying my wishes? After all I have my right to you, and if I disapprove of your spending time in the company of another gentleman it might be careless of her to risk my attachment to you. It is not in danger of course,” he quickly added, “but I would assume it would be prudent of a gentlewoman, who found herself in a difficult situation in her life, to not jeopardise the chances of another.”

“And you, Mr. Darcy, must forgive my answer, since it will likely defy any logic you might apply to it, but my aunt would not care about who you are or what you might have to offer me. Wealth would have no bearing on her thoughts or actions at all. She will always behave as she sees fit, following the dictates of her own views on what is right and wrong. She will think you have no real claim on me until you obtain my father’s consent, and she will also think that I would be just as well off with a poor man as I would be with a rich one, especially if she thought the pauper had more to offer. But comfort and security, while they would account for something, would not be the highest things on her list.”

Darcy looked at her seriously. “What am I lacking then?”

She blushed. He had read everything there was to be found in her response – what she had intended to say, and even what she had not.

“In my eyes, nothing! In hers... I cannot know for certain, but, Mr. Darcy, my aunt surrounds herself with boisterous, outspoken people. I suspect that your being such a quiet man in company has led her to make assumptions about you that are far from the truth.”

“I am aware that Mrs. Tournier and I have never been the best of friends, but I fail to see what virtues I am lacking which are so high on her list. I do not claim I possess them, only that my acumen must not be sufficient where she is concerned. She is your family though, and I would like to alter the situation if it is in my power.”

“I am most sorry to say it, for I do not wish to cause you any pain, but since you are more reserved than is to her tastes, I think she sees you as a rather uninspired and shallow man who thinks himself above those around him. If you had conducted yourself in the beginning as your friend did, very talkative and complimentary, she would not think it. It is unfair of her, and it is hardly the act of the open minded woman she likes to see herself as and that she usually is, but I think it is the truth nonetheless.”

Lizzy sighed heavily as one more painful insight into her own family made its way into her heart.

“Does this information aid you at all, Sir?”

He thought that it very much reminded him of the dear person he now held in his arms, and although he would not say it aloud, he hoped he could change the mind of the aunt as well as he had managed to change that of the niece. “Thank you, yes. I will try to be at my charming best the next time I see her.”

She giggled and he nuzzled her ear as a kind of punishment.

“You do not believe me charming?”

“Of course not!” She giggled even more, but upon seeing the puzzled look on his face she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek to dispel it, and added, “You are perfectly amiable to me, but you are not as talented at charming people who do not exactly suit your sensibilities or tastes. Perhaps your charisma shows itself only to those you love as you do me?” She looked into his eyes slyly. “I might add that I even prefer it that way.”

“I must be a hopeless case then, for my feelings for you are unique.”

“Quite the opposite. I hold great hopes for you.”

A teasing smile played at the corners of his mouth. “I can very well see that. You will charm the whole world while I will keep giving offence, devoting my life to the sole object of properly charming you.”

“Mr. Darcy, that is both unfair and unkind of you, as it depicts me as a very selfish creature!”

“On the contrary, it is only the truth. You could not presume that charming anyone else would bring me so much pleasure.”

“I do not, and I rejoice in it, which makes me a selfish creature indeed. But you would be that much more charming if you kept silent on the subject!”

He pulled her closer and kissed her softly. His lips still hovering over hers, he replied, “You really do not wish me to refrain from speaking about my feelings for you, or to refuse me my reward by concealing the pleasure it gives you.”

“Indeed, I do not,” she whispered. “I insist on having you rewarded for every pleasure you give me.”

“What gives you pleasure, Elizabeth?”

She ran her fingers along his cheek. “Your touch, your smile, your every kiss.”

“How fortunate then, that my reward is in your pleasure.”

“Is it as simple as that?”

“It is.” He brushed his finger along her lips. “Only I plan to vary and intensify your pleasures in the future, which will influence the quality of my rewards.”

She blushed, and not wanting to discomfort her, he pulled back and added, “Right now, let me delight your palate.”

She silently watched him ready their breakfast until he looked at her and smiled. She returned it.

“I hope you know I will expect such treatment from you always if you begin our life together in such a manner. Your serving me will spoil me most severely. Soon I will not wish to move a muscle. I will only lay back and wait for you to fulfil my every wish and desire.”

Darcy laid the food on the blanket and kneeled beside her. “Have I not promised to spoil you, and have you not agreed, madam?”

“Mr. Darcy, you have promised me this, and I have agreed most willingly. I intend to hold you to all of it, be assured of that!” She put her hand on his. “I am the most fortunate woman to have the care of such a man.”

He took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. “I am very glad you think so, because while I do care to have you fed, I still do not cease worrying about your remaining in the company of Monsieur Vian.”

He motioned for her to begin eating. “If we were to reveal our news now we should first discuss all the consequences. For instance, it will probably not give me adequate time to inform my own family before they learnt of it from gossip. I would not like for them to possibly gather the wrong impression about our union. Regarding the future, it would be best if I went to your father at once, but as far as our present goes I have already written to my solicitor, and most likely he will be on his way here very shortly. I do not wish to leave you alone, especially with Monsieur Vian, and I do not wish to leave the affair with Mr. Tidwell unresolved.”

She gave him a surprised look. “I am very glad for your solicitor, because I do not wish to part with you, and certainly not so soon. If I cannot keep you at my side, I must be thankful for his doing it for me.”

She smiled at his amused glance and continued. “However I do not understand why you should become involved in the dealings with Mr. Tidwell. I have no doubt that you would bring the situation to a very suitable outcome, but it is my aunt and my cousin’s problem, and they have asked Monsieur Vian for help.”

“It is also your problem, Elizabeth, and as such it becomes mine. Even if it did not refer to you, it would still concern your family, and your family will be mine.”

“I do not understand. The situation has very little reference to me, even if it might occasionally burden me while I am here. I will leave Scotland soon. They will remain.”

“Precisely! I do not want to leave unsettled issues in the hands of Monsieur Vian.”

“Mr. Darcy, if the situation concerned your sister would you wish for Monsieur Vian to handle it for you? My aunt and cousin chose him for the task as a member of their family whom they know and trust. Please, do not misunderstand me. While I would appreciate your efforts on their behalf, I am not sure my aunt would even like your knowing of the situation.”

“I see.” He looked away.

Embarrassed, and saddened that she had hurt his feelings and possibly his pride, she reached out to him but then stayed the motion, as she was unsure if he would welcome her touch now. “I am so sorry,” she whispered.

He turned back and looked at her. “Please, do not be. I… I need to think about it. That is all.” He smiled reassuringly.

“I know.” She smiled back. Encouraged by his reply, she put her hand on his arm. “And I trust that you will make the right decision, whatever it turns out to be.”

“Thank you,” he whispered kissing her hair. “I will do everything to deserve your trust.”

“I know you will,” she said looking at his eyes confidently, “but know that if you err, I will love and trust you still.”

“That would diminish the value of your trust.”

“On the contrary. Everyone can make mistakes, and one day you will as well, I would be fickle if that caused me to distrust you. Utter certainty does not leave room for trust, while I will always know that you will make amends if you err.”

“Thank you,” he said simply, not finding words to tell her more.

They sat in silence, until she sighed deeply and spoke again. “As to the other matter – I do not wish to risk our future just to spare us a few uncomfortable moments in the present. I spoke to Monsieur Vian and I think he will be sensible and will not impose himself upon me in any way. You have nothing to worry about from that quarter.”

“It is not about me, Elizabeth.”

“I know, but I do not think I expressed myself well when I first spoke before. Monsieur Vian will stay away. It is rather the company of my family that is the more taxing. I do love them, but I love you so much more, and lately it feels as if my aunt’s house is too small to contain all of the emotions I feel. Sometimes one can be too close to their family, and I feel that now. I am ready to become your wife and no longer feel comfortable in the old role of niece and cousin as things now stand at Rosefarm.”

He stayed silent. He wanted to offer her comfort, but he also needed to savour the words of her freely given admission. He took her hand in his and she returned the gesture of mutual understanding by lacing his fingers with hers. They remained like that until she spoke again.

“When you tell Miss Darcy, do you imagine she will be happy about the news?”

“She will be very happy. She liked you very much and was truly sorry you had to leave us so soon.” He sighed at the recollection and added, “Although she probably did not despair as much as I did. I was so glad to have you at Pemberley that I felt your sudden departure even more strongly than I had your previous rejection. She wrote to me about how much she had taken to you and that she would love to have a sister like you.”

He reached out and tucked some loose wisps of hair behind her ear. “Yes, Elizabeth, you will make our little family happy.”

She smiled at this. “I am glad that Miss Darcy liked me. I found her very agreeable. I shall like having her as my sister. Perhaps she can teach me to play the piano better, and I can teach her how to be impertinent?” She looked at him and laughed at the grin on his face.

“I will be delighted to return to Pemberley. My time there was so very pleasant. I cherished every moment I spent with you. That is where I first realised I loved you.”

Darcy looked at her intently and then bent his head for a tender kiss. “I had hoped you had altered your opinion of me by then. I was so happy to see you smile at me. You were very changed yourself, you know, more quiet than usual. I seriously planned to spend every day in your company and do everything in my power to charm you. Will you tell me when you first realised you loved me?”

“It was when you met me at the inn at Lambton after I had read Lydia's letter. I was sure then that I would never see you again, and I could not live with that fact at all, although I had no choice but to do so. I knew then that I loved you. Well, I did not exactly know it at that moment, but it was then that I truly felt it for the first time.”

She looked saddened by the memories and Darcy gathered her in his arms and put her head on his shoulder. He whispered his response.

“Let me thank you for your trust that day. Your telling me about your family’s troubles meant a lot to me. I was only sad that I could do nothing to help you at that moment. I would have taken you in my arms if I had known you would have welcomed it.”

He kissed her hair.

“Pray, why did you think that was the last time you would see me?”

She hugged him tightly to herself, craving the comfort she found there. “I am almost afraid to tell you now. There are so many things I misread – it is just one more of many.” She pulled away somewhat so she could look at his face to better gauge how he would take what she next said to him.

“I thought that because of the disgrace that Lydia had brought upon the rest of her family by her unthinking and most selfish act, that you could not be gone from me fast enough. I did not blame you for not wanting to have your sister associated with such a tainted person and thought perhaps it had been the final straw for you as well. Forgive me, but you said so little once you heard the news, and then you told me only that you were sure I had been wishing you long gone. I did not think I would ever see you again after that, and I realised then that I wished quite the opposite.”

“I did not want to give you empty promises. I told you so then, but I can see how you might not have noticed it in your distress. It pained me to see you so upset, and I felt it was entirely my fault. I would have stayed if you had said anything to that effect, but I was afraid you were long wishing my absence. Nothing could make me leave you but yourself.” He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. “All is well now. We will be very happy. I will not have it otherwise.”

She sighed with the realisation that much of what had stood between them when she had first arrived in Scotland stemmed from her perception of that one moment. He was right though. They would be very happy, and since there was nothing to be done about time that was already lost, she would make certain not to squander what they had now.

“Gloriously and deliriously happy, Sir, if I have any say in the matter!” She took his hand in hers.

“Now, I insist that you tell me what you did when you left Scotland in such a hurry. Lord Brougham led us to believe you had business at Pemberley. Is everyone and everything all right there now?”

“I received a letter which, though it was sent by an express, was very delayed. It had come all the way from Pemberley via London before reaching me here. My uncle, the Earl Fitzwilliam and his son, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who you are acquainted with, paid an unannounced visit. They expected to find me at home since I am always there for the harvest. Well, always except for this year.” He smiled at her. “It was not an emergency, but I did not want to give them any reason to wonder about myself and ask too many questions. Everything is perfectly well, yes.”

Darcy then remembered what Vian had told him of Elizabeth’s reaction upon learning he had left. “I am aware of what my sudden departure might have looked like to you, but I tried to bid you farewell before I left. I rode to all of the places I knew you usually walked, but I could not find you anywhere. I did not want to give you the wrong impression, especially after the waterfall incident.”

She smiled at this information. “Well, I would ask what impression you thought I might gather if you left right after the waterfall incident without speaking to me first, but I think I can all too well tell you what it was. I was sure I had misread the situation yet again, and your insistence upon coming to get me yourself was nothing more than you being a valiant and good friend. I thought maybe you were disappointed in me for my actions that day, and that you had finally given up on me. As the days passed I began to think you might not return at all.”

Sighing softly, she said, “I should be very vexed with Lord Brougham for not being at all helpful or forthcoming with information when he was asked for details. He only told us you were called away on urgent business to Pemberley, but not that you had plans to return. However, as all has turned out well in the end, I shall be most generous and forgive him the anguish he unknowingly caused.”

She gave him an uncomfortable look. “I know I should not say it, as it was very irresponsible of me to go there, but I certainly enjoyed that day very much, even after I was stranded behind the falls. Especially after I was stranded there I should say. I had noble reasons for acting so rashly, you know. I went there so that I could later have the pleasure of showing it to you.”

“Really, Elizabeth? May I say I thought you very silly for doing it?” He laughed at her humbled look. “But you were so sweet in your embarrassment that you completely disarmed me. And I was very glad you chose me to carry you.” He moved his lips closer to hers. “Correct me if I am wrong, but were you not ready then to return my kiss if I had given you one?”

“I will forgive you for thinking me silly, since you coupled it with the fact that you thought me sweet. But, Mr. Darcy, if you found me so disarming, why on earth did you not kiss me then? We were alone. You had me in your arms and I had disarmed you. What were you waiting for?”

“I really do not know, but if I were to kiss you every time you disarmed me I would probably have had to begin last year at Lucas Lodge.” He smiled and teased her lips with his, before giving her a more serious response. “Madam, how could a gentleman take advantage of a lady in distress? I was not sure if you would welcome it. Maybe you would, but only because you felt safe in my arms at that moment but might later regret it. Or you would not welcome it at all and would then feel very uncomfortable with me carrying you after that. But I did think you wished it, and that meant very much to me.”

She put her hand on his chin. “Still, I might ask how a gentleman can give a lady a false impression that he would kiss her and then leave her looking silly by withdrawing so quickly? I certainly thought at the time that you would, and I was quite looking forward to it. I think my lips must have even parted in anticipation.”

He sighed heavily. “You can see then, Elizabeth, how hard it is to be a gentleman. And one who would please a lady like you at that! No matter how much I try, you always have something new to teach me.”

He smiled and bent his head to one side. “Can we prevent it somehow? Can you promise me to kiss me first whenever you wish?”

She met his smile with one of her own, looked at him slyly and leaned closer for a brief kiss. He laughed softly and she decided on a completely different course. She slipped her hands behind his head, buried her fingers in his hair and instigated a tender kiss. Her lips gently played with his, mingling with their smiles, until she committed to a more thorough exploration. His arms tightened around her.

“You will not be sorry you made that offer I hope, because I intend to take you at your word.” She looked long and deeply into his eyes.

Darcy smiled. “Not after such a kiss. Actually I am quite pleased with myself.”

This story is written by Laura and Sylwia, and they own full © copyrights to it.

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