Posted on: 2011-04-18

Chapter 15

The next day, Jane was feeling well enough to come down to the drawing room after dinner. While Elizabeth was assisting Jane in covering herself with blankets to protect her from any drafts, William approached to enquire after her health.

Uncomfortable about her feelings whenever she was physically near him, especially now that his defending her was causing her so much more confusion, Elizabeth began to move away. Not fully attending, she tripped over the edge of a rug.

His focus always being on Elizabeth, William reacted quickly, extending his right arm to steady her. So caught up was he in the sensations of being close to Elizabeth and actually touching his beloved's skin, he did not realize that while reaching out for her, his sleeve had risen high enough to expose the scar on his right hand. When William did notice that Elizabeth's gaze was not directed at the floor as he first thought, a sense of alarm came over him--she was looking at his hand. Quickly pulling his hand away, he looked at her. Elizabeth met his gaze, and seeing his eyes full of panic, her expression changed to one of concern, her eyes full of questions.

William was torn--on one side he longed to be on the receiving end of any sort of caring look from her and ached to answer any question she might have, but on the other, he refused to be questioned on this subject! He had gone to so much trouble to hide this from her! He chose to tear his eyes away from Elizabeth's and step away, though every fiber of his being was still focused on her.

Bingley had also noticed the scar and was reminded of the fire. He asked, "Has the damage from the fire been completely repaired yet, Darcy?"

Surprised since he had not thought it possible to become more anxious than he had been just a moment ago, William's muscles stiffened further.

When he did not answer, Bingley probed further, "Was not the guest wing still being reconstructed when we last spoke of it?"

Realizing that Bingley was speaking of the damage to Pemberley, not to himself, William forced himself to relax a little. "Yes…" he spoke huskily, before clearing his throat and continuing. "Yes. It should be complete before the winter snows descend upon Pemberley."

Caroline interjected from across the room in an attempt to convey her superior knowledge of and acquaintance with the Darcys, "The fire happened two years ago, did it not, Mr. Darcy?"

"I believe it is now closer to two and one half years," Bingley replied when William did not.

"I wonder if you are being cheated, Mr. Darcy. Why should it take such a long time to complete the repairs?" Caroline asked.

"Rebuilding the servants' quarters was the primary concern and thus was reconstructed first, Miss Bingley. The guest wing was secondary. It was required that the entire wing be leveled and the grounds cleared before any new construction began. As much of the original stone as possible was used in the new construction and matching stone needed to be found--it all took time."

"What month?" Elizabeth whispered.

William flinched and closed his eyes for a moment before looking up to meet her steady gaze. He was shocked to find her complexion pale and her lips trembling. He looked away before answering, "May… the end of May."

Jane gasped loudly. William's eyes darted to Jane's as she whispered, "I thought it was just a dream! I should not have stopped her!"

Attuned to Elizabeth's every movement, William felt more than saw that she had lost consciousness and was falling. He reached out to catch her in his arms in the same moment that Jane screamed, "Lizzy!"

William's right arm was supporting the entirety of Elizabeth's weight, and he was very well aware that he could not continue to hold her in this fashion for any extended length of time. He leaned down and slipped his left arm under her knees, maneuvering her so that most of the weight of his beloved's body was supported by it instead. His right arm pressed her upper body into his so that his chest bore her weight. "Elizabeth?" he whispered, but received no answer.

As he stood there, William was vaguely aware of the screeching of Bingley's sisters, the soft crying of Miss Bennet, and the attempts being made by Bingley to calm her. But he could only think of Elizabeth. What had caused her to faint? Had Bingley been correct; had Elizabeth caught Miss Bennet's illness? He placed his cheek on her forehead and was relieved to find that she had no fever.

William looked up and saw that Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst had left the room. "Bingley, open the door. I will carry her to her room. Is Miss Bingley sending for Mr. Jones?"

"Yes, Caroline and Louisa are sending for him. But Darcy, do you not think it would be prudent for me to carry Miss Elizabeth?" Bingley asked quietly while approaching his friend, thinking only of his weakened arm and Elizabeth's safety, but when he saw the look in William's eyes, he backed a step away from him in shock.

"I have had quite enough of seeing Elizabeth in the arms of other men!" William almost growled. "No one but I will carry her, Bingley!" He looked down at her lovely face and his countenance softened into an expression that left Bingley with absolutely no doubt of William's feelings for her. "I assure you I would endure anything rather than allow her to fall."

Neither of the gentlemen realized that Jane was close enough to witness their exchange. She took a step closer to make it seem as though she had only just approached and stated, "If you will lend me your arm, Mr. Bingley, I think I can manage the stairs. We must take Lizzy to her room. Mrs. Hurst has gone to fetch some salts and will bring them there."

William followed Miss Bennet and Bingley from the room. Bingley allowed him to pass them--William knew that he wanted to follow him up the stairs so that he could be of assistance in case he did falter.

He had meant it when he said he would never allow Elizabeth to fall, no matter what he had to endure. Yes, this was painful to his injured muscles. Yes, he was straining his arm past anything he had done since the fire. But--this was Elizabeth! He wished she had not fainted, but if it must occur, William was honored to be able to come to her aid. Perhaps there was even a slight chance that her opinion would soften just a little when she found out that he had?

When William reached the first landing, he felt Elizabeth shift and looked down. Her eyes were still closed, but her color was returning, and she no longer looked as though she was unconscious; she seemed to be asleep now. She would be well.

So beautiful! He felt his heart accelerate further when she turned her head towards him and nuzzled his chest, inhaling deeply through her nose as if she was taking in his scent, her hand sliding between his waistcoat and shirt and pressing against his heart. He remembered very well when she had done something similar at Pemberley--that night in her bedchamber.…

Bingley cleared his throat, and William realized that he had stopped on the landing. "Oh! Excuse me," he said and continued up the stairs, hugging Elizabeth a little closer to his chest. One more flight of stairs, and he would have to let her go.

Though she had never seen Elizabeth swoon before, Jane knew exactly what had caused it, and so she was not very alarmed now that the initial shock of her sister's swoon had passed. She knew Elizabeth would come around soon, and all would be well--or as well as it had been before. She sighed as she thought, "The dreams! Oh, Lizzy! I am so sorry that I did not let you go to Pemberley after the dreams! How did you know?"

Jane saw that while carrying Elizabeth, William's sleeve had been pushed up well beyond where it had been while they were in the drawing room, and she could see that the scar continued up his arm. At first she thought he was trembling, but it was only his right arm; it was as if it had been weakened, and he was taxing its strength. She could only imagine the effort he was exerting to continue holding Elizabeth, but she could see he had a firm grip and would make certain he was true to his word to Bingley. If she had to venture a guess, she would say that William did not to want to let her go at all--ever; in fact, he had already stopped twice along the way to Elizabeth's bedchamber without seeming to notice, with Bingley having to remind him of his errand.

Elizabeth did not seem to be in a swoon any longer. Did she think she was dreaming? She was almost snuggling herself to William's chest, and when Elizabeth slid her hand under his coat, Jane had to blush! If not for the look of bliss on Elizabeth's face--Jane had not seen Elizabeth truly happy for years--and the look of contentment on William's, she would have awakened her instead of pretending that she did not see it. As it was, Jane decided that she would not criticize Elizabeth for what she did in her sleep and thus, allowed this behavior to continue.

When Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst were heard on the staircase at least a floor below them, William stopped walking once more and closed his eyes. Leaning in towards Elizabeth he took a deep breath and gazed down at her lovingly for a few moments before he said huskily, "Miss Bennet, before they catch up to us… will you remove Miss Elizabeth's hand, please? Miss Bingley would become even more cruel towards her if she saw this." He swallowed hard, and she could see the muscles working in his jaw as she moved Elizabeth's hand.

Jane realized that, in the drawing room, William had been quite embarrassed when his injury was exposed. In the present situation, seeing it exposed even further had been accidental and unavoidable, but Jane assumed William would not wish the other ladies to see it. While she was close, Jane pulled several pins from Elizabeth's hair until enough of her locks were cascading down over William's arm to conceal the exposed portion. Both gentlemen looked at her curiously. She whispered as she glanced at the staircase, "Your sleeve has moved up quite high, sir."

Bingley smiled lovingly at Jane, and William just stood there blinking at her for a moment before he looked down at Elizabeth again.

It seemed that William needed another reminder of their mission, so Jane said, "We should continue to Lizzy's room… we are standing in the hall, Mr. Darcy."

Jane understood his hesitation; once they reached her room, he would no longer have any excuse to hold Elizabeth.

Bingley walked on ahead and opened the door just as Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst caught up to them. Jane gave Bingley a pointed look which Bingley understood immediately. He kept his sisters busy at the door to allow William a last moment with Elizabeth, with Jane alone in attendance.

Jane pulled back the bed covers, and William laid Elizabeth upon the bed. Elizabeth opened her eyes just at the moment that he was removing his arm from beneath her shoulders, and he froze. Elizabeth whispered something that Jane could not hear, and then closed her eyes again. William hesitated a moment, and then stood and moved back a step or two.

At this moment it was very obvious to anyone who cared to look, that William loved Elizabeth with all his heart--as much as Jane knew Elizabeth loved him. Oh, why had he been trying so hard to hide it? Why had he been acting so severely toward her since he came into the neighborhood? Was his injury the reason he had stayed away? Why had none of his family ever contacted them? Did his family disprove of Elizabeth so much that he would not be able to marry her even if they were so much in love? It was too cruel! Jane's gaze shifted again to her sister, and the scene blurred as her eyes filled with tears.

She heard Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst's voices as the women approached.

Miss Bingley said, "I have sent a boy for the apothecary."

Mrs. Hurst stepped around Jane and William to get close to the bed with the jar of salts in her hands. Moving her own face away from it as she opened the jar, she placed it near Elizabeth's face. Elizabeth winced and pulled her face away from the salts, mumbling, "Go away, Lydia!"

Jane blushed; Lydia often played tricks on her sisters while they were sleeping, and one she most often engaged in was the use of their mother's salts to awaken them.

Mrs. Hurst put it close to her nose again, and Elizabeth did the same as before but said loudly, "Lydia! Please stop! I was having such a lovely dream…" As she said the last, she had opened her eyes and had seen Mrs. Hurst with the bottle of salts and an annoyed Miss Bingley standing next to her. Looking around she saw that behind Miss Bingley was a group of concerned looking people--Mr. Bingley was moving a chair closer to the bed, and just behind Jane was William! "Oh no! Was it not a dream?" Elizabeth's countenance turned crimson, and she whispered, "Jane? What has happened?"

Jane moved between the Bingley sisters and sat in the chair newly placed next to the bed, taking Elizabeth's hand. "You swooned, Lizzy. How are you feeling now?"

"I am… better?"

"That does not sound very convincing, Miss Elizabeth. Caroline has sent for Mr. Jones; he should be here shortly," Bingley said as he moved to take an extra blanket off the chest at the foot of the bed and placed it around Jane's shoulders, gaining him a look of thanks from Jane.

"Oh, that is not necessary, Mr. Bingley. Please…"

"Miss Elizabeth, Miss Bennet says this has never happened before. Perhaps you have come down with the same illness?" William surprised her with the amount of concern in his voice.

"It has happened once before, when I was in London last January." She did not wish to mention that it had happened at the assembly as well since they might then suspect that all three times it had occurred were related to William. She glanced at the gentleman in question and turned a brighter shade of crimson. Her gaze then rested on Jane, and she continued, "I have not mentioned it to you, Jane, because I was soon well again after resting for a few minutes. I even walked across the park opposite Uncle Gardiner's house to return home afterwards, though I did accept a gentleman's assistance, but only because he would not leave until he saw me home. I am certain I will be well; there is no need to bother Mr. Jones." Elizabeth noticed William stiffen a bit when she mentioned that a gentleman helped her, and she wished she could ask why.

"I do believe we would all feel easier if you see the apothecary, Miss Elizabeth. When one's determined intentions interfere with one's health, it is best to defer to someone else's stubborn ideas of what is the correct thing to do in that circumstance." William ended this speech with a mischievous look in his eye that melted her heart.

Elizabeth blinked a few times--how did William remember her exact words from three years ago? "But…"

Jane interrupted, "Lizzy, Mr. Jones is already on his way here. You would not wish him to make the trip to Netherfield only to be turned away, would you?"

Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "Very well; you will get your way." She glanced at William with an amused sparkle in her eyes as she said, "If only so that you will see that I am correct in this circumstance as well!"

She could not know what her look did to the rhythm of William's heart.

A knock on the door announced the arrival of Mr. Jones, and he was bid to enter. "Mr. Jones! You certainly came quickly!" Jane exclaimed.

"Good evening ladies, gentlemen. Miss Bennet, I was not far; your messenger found me on the road just leaving Lucas Lodge, and I was very concerned when I heard Miss Lizzy was ill! Being called to treat her for something that did not result from a fall from a tree is unheard of! It is usually she who sends the messenger and begins treatment on my patient before I can arrive," Mr. Jones replied with a small smile directed toward Elizabeth. But the smile could not hide the fact that he was watching her very carefully.

Elizabeth laughed, "Mr. Jones, I do hope you did not put off another call to see me first. You will soon see that this was a wasted trip for you. Is all well at Lucas Lodge, sir?"

Mr. Jones' expression was much less concerned than it was before she spoke. "I was there only to see how Lady Lucas was faring, as she was afflicted some days ago with a terrible cold. She is much better now--as I can see you are as well, Miss Bennet, but you should still rest a few days longer. Now, what seems to be the trouble, Miss Lizzy? Have you caught your sister's cold?"

William, who had been fidgeting through this discourse, was becoming very impatient with the idle talk and said firmly, "Mr. Jones, Miss Elizabeth collapsed and was not conscious for several minutes."

Mr. Jones' countenance turned quite serious. "Well! Are there any injuries from the fall?"

"Lizzy did not fall, sir. Mr. Darcy caught her," Jane said, and it was William's turn to color slightly.

Mr. Jones looked back and forth between Elizabeth and William, and caught William's gaze for several moments before saying, "Will you all excuse us please? Miss Bennet will remain for the examination."

William was the last to leave the room.

Once the door was closed, Elizabeth said, "Really, Mr. Jones, I am well…"

"I will be the judge of that, young lady! Now, tell me exactly what happened."

"Sir, it was the same as had happened in London last January. I heard some very disturbing news and then felt weak. The last time was not so very bad; I did not lose consciousness, only my balance. This time everything turned black. The next thing I remember is awaking here."

"She was very limp at first, but then after a few minutes, it seemed more as if she were asleep than unconscious--she had shifted herself while Mr. Darcy was carrying her. You did also mention a dream, Lizzy, just after Mrs. Hurst had you breathe in the smelling salts."

Elizabeth blushed again, and mumbled, "Yes, and I wish I had not!"

After his examination, Mr. Jones said, "Well, my dear, it seems that you are in perfect health and were only in shock temporarily from the news you had received. No walks tomorrow, Miss Lizzy, as I do not want a chance of this happening when you are out alone. Other than that, I see no reason to restrict your activities beginning the following day as long as this does not recur and you are feeling well. If you feel weak again, I suggest you sit down immediately so you do not fall, even if it means sitting on the ground." As he returned his equipment to his bag, Mr. Jones seemed to be struggling with a wish to ask something else but was not certain that he should. He finally said, "Miss Bennet, will you leave us for a few moments?"

Jane was surprised by the unusual request but agreed when she saw Elizabeth nod.

After the door had closed, he turned back to a very curious Elizabeth and said, "Lizzy, I know this is a delicate matter, and you might not wish to discuss it with me, but you know very well that I will keep your answer in the strictest confidence. Is there any chance you might be… in a family way?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened, and her mouth hung open until she regained her senses. "No, sir! That would be quite impossible!"

"Er… are you aware of what is involved… that is to say, what would need to occur for that to happen?"

Now both Mr. Jones and Elizabeth had colored. "Well… I do live on a farm, sir! The animals…"

"Yes. Quite." He cleared his throat and said, "Some ladies are not aware until it is too late and so I had to ask. And you are certain…"

"Very certain, Mr. Jones! And… well…"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember that Papa has a shelf in his study that I was not supposed to investigate?" Knowing exactly what was on that shelf, Mr. Jones nodded, a little amused. "A year or two ago, Papa's book order had not yet arrived, and I already had read everything else in the library and… you know," she tapped her head indicating that she remembers everything she reads, "and I had been curious for such a long time, Mr. Jones! So, I read one of the books. It was very… informative. I also looked at some prints." Elizabeth blushed and continued, "The human body is quite a good deal more flexible than I had realized, sir."

Mr. Jones laughed in spite of himself. "Ah, yes. I think you are more informed than most maidens--which is nothing new, of course."

"So you can see I am quite certain that I have not done anything that would end in…" Elizabeth said with force, and then asked, "Why do you continue with this line of questioning, sir?"

"Oh… fainting is a common symptom… and you have never had these symptoms before… and the way you both were acting…"

"Sir, you will not leave this room until you have explained that last comment!"

"Very well!" he sighed, "It was the way you and the taller gentlemen looked at each other, Lizzy, and also how you both were trying so very hard not to look at each other. The gentleman was attempting to conceal it, but he was extremely worried about you. I have not seen such a terrified look as was in his eyes unless it was a man desperately worried about a wife whom he loves very dearly!"

Elizabeth blinked back some tears and said in a voice full of grief, "Mr. Jones, I assure you that you are imagining things. Mr. Darcy does not care for me in that way."

He smiled and placed his hand on hers. "Oh no, Lizzy, I am not mistaken about his feelings for you… no more than I am wrong about your feelings for him." Mr. Jones's smile faded, and he said, "I will miss you, but this is the way of things. You deserve to be happy, my dear. I do hope you will come to see me when you visit your parents." Patting her hand, he continued, "I will come around to check on you tomorrow."

"Oh! But Jane is feeling so much better we thought of going home tomorrow. She is able to travel the short distance to Longbourn, is she not?"

"Yes, she is at that. If you have no further symptoms, you will be able to as well. I will come to Longbourn close to dinnertime then… by design, of course; perhaps I will be invited to stay and dine with my favorite family in the neighborhood?" he asked with a smile.

"Perhaps!" Elizabeth answered as Mr. Jones walked toward the door. Relief was evident on his face that she had forgiven his false assumption so readily.

When Jane had come out into the hall, she was not very surprised to find the gentlemen waiting there. Bingley was standing against the wall examining his friend's behavior with amused interest. William was pacing and turning the ring on his left hand, worry clearly expressed upon his features. Taking a few hurried steps toward Jane, he asked, "How is Miss Elizabeth? What says Mr. Jones?"

"He says Lizzy is healthy, and this should not happen again, but she should not go for a walk tomorrow. If by chance this does recur, he does not wish her to be out alone."

"Mr. Jones is certain she is not ill? Perhaps I should send to London for my physician?"

Jane's eyes danced with pleasure at William's conduct and what she knew that it meant, but she said in a serious tone, "Mr. Darcy, my family is quite confident in Mr. Jones's opinion. He has taken care of Lizzy since she was born--in fact he delivered her! I do believe he is correct, sir. Please trust him; Lizzy does."

William closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded, but then returned to the behavior she had witnessed as she came through the doorway.

Mr. Jones opened the door to the hallway very quietly, with every intention of observing what was occurring there before being noticed. He was a bit nervous about what he had said to Elizabeth… perhaps he should not have mentioned Mr. Darcy's feelings for her, but they had been so obvious to him that he felt certain she already knew. Her reaction was quite a surprise--his most honest friend did not deny her feelings for the gentleman, but she did deny his. Mr. Darcy's behavior was discreet, but after so many years in the sick room he had come to recognize patterns of behavior.

The apothecary truly cared about the people in the neighborhood and always felt better when his patients would be taken care of properly by people who loved them. Whenever he saw that love was lacking, Mr. Jones would make certain they had either a caring servant to tend to them, or he would send someone he knew he could trust to sit with the patient.

Elizabeth might not be very ill, but he still saw the evidence that she was well loved by this man, and judging by what he had heard about Mr. Bingley's guest, she would be taken care of financially as well. He was relieved that his favorite patient of all, who was also usually quite misunderstood in general, would have a happy life.

What he found when he stole into the hallway was even more convincing than what he had seen earlier. "Yes, Lizzy, he loves you--most definitely!"

Chapter 16

William had been pacing his room for hours, as he had done every night since Elizabeth had come to stay at Netherfield. To have her in the same house, with her bedchamber just two doors down--it was too much. He wanted what they had had at Pemberley; he wanted to go to her room, hold her all night, and be assured that she was well--and this consuming urge to be near her was twice as strong now that she had swooned!

He was so worried that the apothecary might have missed something, and she might be ill; what if it had been a disease such as had afflicted his father? His father had seemed well but had said he would slowly lose his abilities. Bingley, Jane, and Mr. Jones had spent quite a long time dissuading him from sending to London immediately for his physician to attend Elizabeth.

He had seen the looks the three of them had exchanged--they had practically laughed out loud at him--and for the first time in his life, he honestly did not care that he had made a fool of himself! He had always trusted Bingley and, well, Elizabeth trusted Mr. Jones, so he was trying his best to trust him as well.

Jane had earned his trust by acting to save his dignity, covering his scars so that Bingley's sisters did not see them. Elizabeth and Bingley were right--Jane Bennet was an angel. Bingley and Jane would do well together; he was certain of it.

Mr. Jones--yes, he would trust what he had said to be true. William had finally been convinced when he calmed down enough to remember all the things Elizabeth had said about him after he had been injured… when they had been in the woods and they had spent hours talking… before they had shared their first kiss…

The events that occurred when he had placed her in her bed tonight kept replaying in his mind: the way she felt in his arms, her breath caressing his hair, her cheek as it grazed his own, her voice whispering in his ear, "Stay with me, William...."

Good G-d, if he were to stay here so close to her, he knew that he would end up rushing down the hall and dismissing Jane--by physical force if necessary--and taking her place in Elizabeth's bed! He needed to get farther away from her to protect her from his terrible longing!

William took hold of the portable drawing desk that the carpenter at Pemberley had made when his arm was at its worst and headed to the library. He did not wish to be seen; his arm was not working correctly due to overuse, but nobody else in residence used the library--except Elizabeth--and he doubted she would leave her room tonight, so he did not expect to be disturbed.

As he entered the room, he took a moment to look around the neglected space. It was so poorly stocked, that should Elizabeth have wished to have something interesting to read while staying here nursing her sister, there would have been nothing available to her. The day she had arrived at Netherfield, he had instructed Hughes to relocate all the books he had brought with him to an empty shelf in the library, hoping there was at least one amongst them that she had not already read. His heart had swelled earlier in the day when he had seen her selecting one of them. To have been able to provide her with any amount of pleasure was immensely satisfying! He would gladly spend his entire income on books just to see the corners of her lips turn up the way they had when she had spied a title she had never read!

He removed his coat and waistcoat, rolled up his sleeves, and reclined in a comfortable chair. Opening the travelling desk on his lap, he took out a clean sheet of paper and pencils and began to sketch that smile. After a while, his eyelids became very heavy, and William fell asleep--dreaming pleasantly of Elizabeth, as usual. So when he became aware of her scent while in that place halfway between sleep and wakefulness, it did not seem odd.

Jane was sleeping soundly, but Elizabeth's mind was too actively engaged. Why had she agreed to Mr. Jones's examination? Had he not come, he never could have said those things about William, and she would not have that sense of hope she now had growing inside her. Jane was no help; her accounting of William's behavior, while displaying that knowing smile of hers, only added kindling to the fire that Mr. Jones had begun.

No, she had to be honest with herself; Mr. Jones had not begun the warmth of hope that had slowly spread within her. The first spark was lit by her own heart the first moment she saw him at the assembly hall. She had seen small glimpses of "her William," the man she had remembered, at each encounter since. Tonight--goodness, they were right! Tonight he was much more like the old William, the one who had looked at her with love shining from his eyes.

But she feared what tomorrow might bring. In the light of day, when there was no chance that her life was at risk, would he revert to the "other William," the one that he had been since coming back to Hertfordshire--the cold, severe-looking William who looked at her only to find fault? She shivered as a tear fell from her eye, and she brushed it away with the back of her hand.

No! She would not lie here and ruminate on this all night! But unfortunately, she had finished her book and had nothing else to distract her mind from these musings. Surely nobody else was still awake; she would put on her robe and go to the library to get another book--and she would not look at the bookplate this time in case his name was there again! He put the books there for his own benefit and not for hers; that was another very silly idea that this infernal hope had put into her mind. She should read of war perhaps, as that should help get these romantic visions of the future out of her mind.

Elizabeth could not find her slippers, and the floor was very cold, but she was determined to complete her mission, so she padded barefoot down the hall then down the stairway, making no noise.

She slipped into the library and was surprised to find a fire blazing. Her eyes were drawn to a number of lit candles standing on the tables near the fire. Her first thought was that someone had been careless, but then she noticed a slight movement in the chair. It was William, and he was asleep!

She moved closer to him, taking advantage of his slumber to study him intently and unobserved. He truly was the handsomest man she had ever seen, and in sleep, he was handsomer still. He looked happy, and she wondered what was occurring in his dream to provoke such a pleasant response.

After she had made a thorough visual examination of what she could see of his form, she looked at his right arm which was lying across his stomach. Tears pricked at her eyes. The scars looked painful; she hoped that they pained him no longer. She wanted to reach out, caress his arm, and take all his pain away.

She pondered the unusual box that rested on his lap. It looked to be a sort of portable writing desk, but bigger. His left hand rested on the picture he had been sketching, blocking her view. Some sort of latches held the paper in place, and another larger latch, seemingly designed to keep the side closed, was currently open. Inside were several compartments. One held writing and drawing supplies, and two were for paper. One of the sections was holding what looked to be used paper, and it seemed he had been busy. She loved to see his drawings and wondered what all those sketches depicted.

Elizabeth froze as William shifted in his seat, but he did not awaken. With the way he was sitting now, though, the box was on such an angle that the open side of the compartment was facing downward. Before she could even think about what to do to prevent it from happening, what looked almost like a waterfall began. She held her breath as page after page slid out of the box and fanned out across the floor of the library.

As he became more and more aware that he was waking from a dream, William noticed he could still detect her scent. Shifting in his seat, he began to hear paper sliding across the floor, and he knew what had happened, but at the same time he heard a soft gasp, and his breath caught in his chest. Her scent was not in the dream! Elizabeth was here, in this room, and all of his sketches had just fallen onto the floor!

Terrified of her reaction if she saw all those drawings of her, he opened his eyes just barely enough to see where she was and what she was doing. He was thankful that all the drawings seemed to be facing the floor so she could not see them. But then a spark from the fire landed on one of the sheets of paper close to the fire, and it began to smolder. Elizabeth walked over to it--he nearly exclaimed aloud, her feet were bare--and she stamped on the paper to put the fire out. William began to tremble as she picked it up and turned it over. She gasped again, louder this time. He could not see her face, for she was facing away from him, but she looked at the sketch a long time and then reached for another, and then another, and then she began to turn them all over. Elizabeth lowered herself to the floor and just sat and stared at them all. "What should I do?" He found he could not move, could not utter a sound, and he just watched her.

Elizabeth stood again and moved from one part of the room to another, stopping where most of the drawings had settled--directly between his chair and the fire. He struggled to keep his breathing even. She was clad only in a thin nightgown and robe. With the light of the fire behind her, William was spellbound by the silhouette of her form showing through the thin cloth. Though as a gentleman he knew he should have looked away, instead he was committing to memory the vision of splendid beauty before him. He would not draw this sight--it was for him alone. When she turned slightly to the side so that his view was now of her partial profile, he could not stifle his gasp. The guilt of violating her privacy in this manner was too much for him to continue admiring her without her permission, and he reluctantly closed his eyes.

He knew Elizabeth had discovered that he was awake when he heard her ask, "Why?"

William's eyes flew open, and he noticed her gaze was still upon the drawings. "I - I was afraid I would forget," he said huskily as he pulled his sleeve down over his scars.

"But since you have arrived, you have acted as if you had forgotten… or wished you would."

"No."

She turned around, an angry fire in her eyes boring into him, seeming to burn him as if he were still in the fire at Pemberley. "What does 'no' mean? You come here after all this time… after all of our letters, and we have heard not a word from any of your family… after the way you behaved in London, you come here and act this way, and then you tell me you do not want to forget? I do not understand!"

William spoke calmly, "It is just as I suspected. Your father must have kept our letters from you, and he must have taken anything that you wrote before it was posted. We received no letters from you or your father, Elizabeth."

"How can you lie this way? I am the one who walked to Meryton with all the letters--mine and my father's. I posted the letters directly at the postal office with my own hands! I am the one who made certain I was home at the time the post was delivered twice a day for so many months that the delivery boys sought me out to hand the post directly to me since they could tell I was so anxious for it. I went through the letters before my father even had a chance to see them! And never--not once--was there a letter from your father, nor Georgiana, nor you."

William sat in shocked silence, which slowly turned to anguish as she continued on.

"You dare to accuse my father, who has been almost as pained by your family's lack of consideration as I have been? And then, we find out that your father has passed, not through you--who had already been in the neighborhood for a fortnight--but through Lieutenant Wickham, the son of your father's steward, who has been ignored by your family as well. Imagine my shock when Lieutenant Wickham told me of your father's death while we are at a dinner party!

"Even after all this, after he and his daughter had been snubbed by your family for three years, I have never seen my father more affected than when I had to tell him that your father had died! I was so frightened for his life that I called Mr. Jones to attend him!"

Elizabeth's anger had slowly turned to pain and sorrow, her eyes were filled with tears, but she refused to blink lest they fall. "Until London, I tried to blame your father… thinking that he did not approve of me… but never you.

"Even my father did not blame you. The day I turned seventeen, and you did not come, he tried to blame himself--saying that he was not good enough, not highly placed enough, that he had married a tradesman's daughter, and so it was his fault that I had been rejected.

"But after seeing you last January, after witnessing the lack of emotion in your eyes when you looked at me, I knew what a complete fool I was--and still, I could not stop loving you!

"Then you come here to Hertfordshire, and you display a horribly stern countenance, staring coldly at me whenever we are in company. Do you know I have been listening to the entire neighborhood whispering--I cannot get away from it no matter where I go! They are wondering what I ever did to cause you to despise me so greatly! Yes, they are gossiping of it, and from what I have overheard, they have practically decided that I am a tainted woman--that you know of something terrible that I must have done in London since they have not heard of any wrongdoing here! This afternoon my old friend Mr. Jones even sent Jane from the room to ask me if I am with child, suggesting perhaps that is why I fainted! You know as well as I do that once the gossips have decided what it is that I have done to cause you to hate being in the same room as I am, they will soon shun my entire family.

"The only person who does not agree with the opinion that you abhor me is Jane--who in her infinite goodness and naiveté has spent the past few hours unwittingly torturing me, trying to convince me that you love me, of all the ridiculous notions!"

Elizabeth's tears spilled over as the anguish in her voice and countenance increased during her speech. William felt as if he were dying, but he had to let her purge herself of this before he spoke again. He continued to sit in the chair in which she had found him and covered his eyes with his left hand, for his right arm was not responding at all to his will now that the exertion of carrying her was coupled with the emotional stress her words were causing.

"I need to know why; you owe me that much! Was everything that occurred at Pemberley some sort of game to you? Is this something that the rich play at? Did you perfect the persona of 'William at Pemberley' just for me, or has he been used on other women as well? Did you and your friends have a good laugh at my expense? Did you come here to store up some new stories to tell them? What have I ever done to deserve such treatment other than to commit the great sin of loving you?

"Oh! I am so completely disgusted with myself! I swore I would never give you the satisfaction of knowing any of this… and here I am, so weak that I could not even get through a few weeks in your presence before confessing it all! Now you will be able to tell your friends that your little game was a complete success since I am about to be ruined by conjecture! At least I will be of some use for something, since I am certain that I will never be of interest to anyone again!

"I told you once that this detailed memory of mine can be a curse--a curse it is when it comes to you! I want to forget that you ever existed, but I cannot! G-d help me, what I would not do to forget! Perhaps your disclosure will at least help to counteract the rest and dull this ache of loss within me--if I must continue to remember and dream of what we shared at Pemberley, then at least the remembrances can end with that! Please reveal to me the horrible truth of why you did this, and then go back to London and the ton and leave me be!"

William wiped at his red-rimmed eyes with the heel of his left hand, and then said, "I will…" his breath caught as if he were choking on the words that were about to be said, "I will go and leave you be if you wish it after you have heard what I have to say. I beg of you to give me the courtesy of listening all the way through as I did for you.

"I believe you when you say that you had posted letters to us, for I know you too well to doubt it, but I swear it, Elizabeth, on all that is holy--we received not one letter from you or your father. I sent the first letter the day of my father's accident… which was the day you left--my father even asked me to include a few lines from him. My sister wrote almost daily for quite some time. I wrote to your father several times asking for his help, and then as the weeks passed, I was begging him to come and to bring you. Georgiana needed you; I needed you!

"I made many excuses but, after two weeks had passed, I finally gave in to the worry about your safety and sent an investigator to see if you were at least unharmed. When I heard that you both were at home, I had to come to some sort of conclusion as to why all of our letters went unanswered. I could not believe that you were receiving the letters and not responding and so, yes, I blamed your father… but really deep down inside, I blamed myself for my disregard of propriety which I thought had caused him to withdraw from us and from his promises to my father.

"I kept my promise, and I stayed away for eight months, but I had every intention of coming here and explaining to you, and taking you away if necessary. I even told Georgiana of my plans and my suspicions… she was so happy that you were to be her sister…"

William closed his eyes and continued, "Here I must ask, Elizabeth, why you swooned today? Why did Miss Bennet say she should not have stopped you? What did she mean?"

"A fire at Pemberley was mentioned… I had many nightmares about a fire at Pemberley. You were trapped and burning. I would awake screaming, and Jane would have to restrain me from leaving Longbourn to somehow make my way to Pemberley."

William closed his eyes again and took some time to compose himself. Nodding, he continued, "It happened just a few days before your seventeenth birthday. This was the only thing that could have kept me away." William looked down at his arm that bore the scars of his suffering.

"My cousin Richard came in response to Georgiana's express to him, and he told me later that I had acted very much like he was told I had behaved when the fever was at its worst the previous September; I was hallucinating and calling for you, and nobody could quiet me. Mr. Smythe told Georgiana that if I did not calm and rest, I would die. Georgiana had written an express to your father imploring him to send you to Pemberley; she even sent horses to all the post stations so that your driver could change horses quickly. Obviously, you did not come, but Richard was able to communicate with me somehow, telling me that Georgiana and you were depending upon me to live. Even Mr. Smythe does not understand how I survived… but I did."

William stopped speaking for several minutes, but Elizabeth remained quiet. "My arm and side were badly burned, and I had completely lost the use of my right arm and hand. I could not seek you out until I had overcome the injuries. I did not want you to accept me out of pity.

"I spent most of my time at Pemberley, but I had been visiting a special doctor in London occasionally. When in London, my relatives hounded me to attend them, and I found it easier to do so once or twice during each visit if only to quiet them. When you saw me that night in London, they had tricked me into meeting a lady--I did not know she would be there, Elizabeth! I had absolutely no interest in anyone else! She was vulgar, but I did not know how to fend her off without making a scene. I did my best--though Richard told me later it had been quite a show, and he was not speaking of the play. G-d knows I should have gone home claiming illness, but hindsight is always much clearer.

"Richard was in another box across the theater, but he had seen my drawings and recognized you as he was examining the general seating area during an intermission. When the play ended, Richard pulled me from my uncle's box and down to the lobby whilst explaining. He was insistent that I was a fool for not seeking you out, and I had just finished arguing that I could not expect you to love half a man--I was so angry at myself for not healing as quickly as I had hoped no matter how hard I worked at it. I was angry at fate for putting me in that position, angry at Richard for tempting me to find you and put the decision to you instead of taking it on myself, angry at myself for wanting to beg you to come back to me, and so incredibly frightened that if I did, you would reject me… and just then, I turned around, and you were there."

William's eyes filled with tears. "I…" he stopped and took a deep, trembling breath, "You were pressed against me, and I ached to take hold of you and escape from that place. But you were so beautiful and whole… and I was not! I could not be as selfish as that. I continued to have no use of my arm; I had just begun to be able to move my fingers a little." He saw her eyes close. William continued, "It took an immense effort not to follow when you walked away, not to beg your forgiveness and..."

His emotions tightened his throat so badly that he had to stop speaking for a minute or two. "Richard said I was hurting you, but I insisted that I could not saddle you with this." He put his left hand on his right arm.

"I saw what I was putting Georgiana through--I sent her away last summer to give her a respite from me. What a disaster that was!" His eyes opened wide as he remembered some of what Georgiana had said to him after Ramsgate. "Do not trust Wickham, Elizabeth--he knows of you and will attempt to take revenge upon me through you. Georgiana's new companion had deceived me; she was not what she seemed to be. I was not careful enough when I researched her references. She was actually a friend of Wickham's.

"Wickham followed them to Ramsgate and attempted to persuade Georgiana to elope with him… he was angry that when his four thousand pounds from my father's bequest ran out after only a little more than two years, that I would not simply give him more, and he wanted her thirty thousand pound dowry. But she had been forced to mature when I was injured; she knew it was wrong and suspected him. When she refused him, he tried to force himself on her…" Elizabeth gasped.

"She was very grateful, as was I, for your having taught her how to protect herself. Georgiana escaped him safely and went to James, who brought my sister and her lady's maid back to London immediately.

"Her early maturation would seem to have been for the best. Had she not been forced to think more as an adult than would be normal for the usual young girl, what would have happened when Wickham tried to convince her to elope with him? Would he have succeeded in persuading her to go with him? With her companion a party to his plan, how would I have discovered it? Would Georgiana have written to me once she was in Scotland, signing the letter 'Mrs. Wickham'? Or would she have written only after he had stolen all of her dowry and left her with child in a worm-ridden room somewhere? And even had she seen through his plan from the beginning as she did, what would have happened had she not known how to protect herself as you taught her? I shudder to think of all the possibilities!

"She would not be well now had it not been for you, Elizabeth. Georgiana has recovered nicely, though I have worried about leaving her to come to Hertfordshire. But she has a stronger sense of confidence than she had before the encounter, and her new companion, Mrs. Annesley, is truly wonderful."

He spent a few moments gathering his thoughts before saying, "Elizabeth, about my behavior since coming to Hertfordshire… I must remind you of a conversation we had, in which you had inquired about whether I had met anyone of interest on my voyage home from Italy. I had told you that I do not do well with strangers. You had never seen me in public before.

"On the day of the assembly, you must understand… I had been Master of Pemberley for three years and, though I had spent very little time in London during that time, I was weary of being pursued by ladies of the ton who were interested in me only for mercenary reasons. I had already perfected what Bingley and Richard have for years jestingly called my 'Mask of Indifference.' The moment I walk into a room of any social occasion, the mask is firmly in place… but in that particular instance…"

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "When I came to Bingley's estate, I had no idea that Longbourn was close by; I knew only that you were in Hertfordshire. When we arrived at the Assembly, I had sent your old friend James to inquire from the other servants outside if anyone knew the location of Longbourn so that I could visit--after fully preparing myself for the encounter, of course. James returned immediately and told me you were in attendance, and then I followed Bingley into the building directly after gaining this knowledge… into a room full of strangers who instantly began whispering estimates of my income.

"What I am attempting to convey is that when I first saw you, I was terrified! It was not disapproval that you saw at all. I was inwardly rejoicing in the fact that I would be in your presence, but at the same time I was worried that you might never forgive me for not coming to you sooner and for what had happened in London. When I found you among the crowd, for a brief moment, you seemed happy to see me and I was filled with hope, but then your countenance changed to one so harsh… I did not know what to do! I could not explain anything to you in a crowded assembly room, and then when I walked over, your mother snubbed me, and your expression was severe. I decided to retreat and seek out a better time to explain. But I could not resist what I thought might be the only time I would ever have to dance with you, not after I had been dreaming of doing so for years.

"The look that everyone is gossiping about is the damn mask mixed with despair, Elizabeth! I had little hope of your ever caring for me again, but I was desperate to be near you. I did not know whether to speak to you of this or not--which would make it worse? I made many excuses for not speaking, but I can see now that the truth is that had I explained, and had you responded by telling me that there was no hope, I would have had to leave Hertfordshire. Even the fleeting thought of a life without the remote possibility of seeing you again filled me with such anguish that I found that I could not speak of any of this at all.

"The man I am when I am alone with you is the only true William. I have never hidden myself from you, only from others!

"You said you still love me, Elizabeth…" he said her name as if it were a caress. "Please, I beg of you, forgive me? I do not wish to leave you again, ever. You are my life, my soul. While we were apart, my heart was dying a little each day. I was numb inside… I do not believe I could have gone on that way much longer. No matter how my mind doubted since coming to Hertfordshire--I do not think I would have survived this long if some part of my being was not convinced that you truly do love me. Thoughts of you are the only thing that has helped me through every hardship that has befallen me since we parted."

Elizabeth moved closer and knelt before him. She tentatively reached out, took his right hand in both of hers, and touched the edge of his sleeve with her fingers. He tried to pull away; if ever he had the good fortune of winning her love again, he had every intention of keeping all of his scars covered! She held tightly to his hand and moved closer to him, not allowing him to pull away, but instead gently pushing his sleeve up his arm, exposing that portion of the scar.

"Does it hurt now?"

"My arm aches when the weather changes, but not otherwise. It is weakened now. I had thought I was healed enough to safely come into Hertfordshire--I had sworn to myself that I would not come until I could hold you in both my arms. But I overused my arm today, and now it will be useless until I sufficiently rest it. I cannot even carry the woman I love to safety without consequences!" he whispered, and then shuddered as she grazed her fingertips across the blemish, gently stroking it, causing a tingling sensation to spread throughout his body.

She looked up into his eyes, and his breath caught. There was nothing in her eyes but affection--no disgust, no revulsion--only a deep love that filled every corner of his being with hope and relief. He watched, mesmerized as she returned her gaze to his hand. Raising his hand, she pressed her lips to the scarred portion of his skin again and again, covering it with gentle kisses.

With tears streaming down his face, he said in bewilderment, "How… how are you not sickened by the sight of it?"

Elizabeth looked up at him and shook her head, and then reached up and caressed the tears from his cheeks, whispering, "If it is you… then it is me." Moving closer, she accepted his hand pulling her up and into his lap, laid her head upon his chest, and wrapped her arms around his waist as she said, "I wish I had been there for you, my love."

William's left arm pulled her even closer to him. Burying his face in her hair--in her scent--he released all the tears that he had forced himself to hold back all night… no, for the past three years, as did she. As they both calmed, they clung to each other, marveling at the feeling.

He knew not how, but her hands found their way around his neck, her fingers laced through his hair. She pulled his face toward hers, pressing gentle kisses to his forehead, his cheeks. When he could not wait another moment, his lips sought out hers, and their breaths mingled as she whispered his name. The first gentle kiss slowly intensified as more followed, the years of longing could no longer be repressed. He repeated his actions from that night in her room at Pemberley--he had dreamt of doing so every night that they had been apart--and he groaned when that same soft moan escaped from deep within her. She turned her lips to his ear, and when she nibbled on his earlobe, he was almost undone.

William began to pull away when she said between quick breaths into his ear, "Please do not stop, William!"

His answering moan made her think he would do as she asked, so she was surprised when he said huskily, "My Elizabeth… we must stop!" He leaned his forehead against hers and once his passion had cooled sufficiently, he said in explanation, "Years ago, I swore to your father that I was not that kind of man--that I respect you too much--and I must keep my word."

Elizabeth said, "The first letter Papa sent to Pemberley contained his consent to our engagement, William."

He closed his eyes and said, "If only I had I received that letter!"

Opening his eyes again, he saw hers were filled with curiosity. "What do you suppose could have happened to all those letters? I sent so many!"

William shook his head and said, "I cannot even begin to think of how they disappeared. We received many others without a problem."

He watched as his favorite of Elizabeth's many smiles slowly dawned across her face. "You must ask Papa again for his consent, and then I can finally wear my ring on my finger for all to see it!"

Shaking his head as if to clear it, he took a deep breath and said, "When you were not wearing the chain I thought…"

"I have been wearing your ring in a little pocket that I had sewn into all of my corsets. It took a bit of work to find a place to wear it that was not uncomfortable!" She laughed.

He had seen a corset once when he had visited a tenant's house unannounced and the laundry had been hanging out to dry. It had taken him a few minutes to figure out what it was, and then, and even though no one had seen him staring at it, he had been mortified at his behavior. Without conscious thought, his eyes had been drawn to the neckline of Elizabeth's nightdress as he was imagining what she had meant by her statement since he had never actually seen a corset on a lady. He blushed when she placed her finger on his chin and lifted his face to meet her twinkling eyes.

"The laundry maid and the lady's maid that I share with my sisters were a bit confused about the pockets, but they have become so used to my odd habits that they did not question me about it after I confirmed that I wanted it there." She hesitated, her countenance turned thoughtful, and then she continued, "The reason you have not seen me wearing the chain is simple. I told you that Mama would not allow me to wear my chain when at a more formal event; the assembly was a perfect example.

"When I saw you in London, your looks were so severe, and even more so when we met again at the assembly. I was certain you had lost all tender feelings for me, and I did not wish to wear the chain in your presence. I had decided, after the way you were looking at me across the assembly room, that you would never know that I had spent the past three years pining for you.

"I did not think you would wish for me to have it any longer; in fact, I was shocked that you had not demanded that it be returned. Knowing the history of the ring, and that you would want to give it to your future wife--at the time it was quite evident to me that that lady was not going to be me--I felt it was only right that I should return it to you. I told myself that I would return it if I had the opportunity to do so without any witnesses. But even though I was very angry at you and thought you despised me, I could not force myself to part with it…"

William caressed her cheek. "I must say that if you had returned the ring, it would have been proof enough to convince me that you no longer cared, and I would have had to admit defeat. It would have been yet another misunderstanding, and the worst of it all is that the truth would never have been discovered! My dearest, loveliest Elizabeth, I am very glad you selfishly held the ring from me because, had you not, I would not now be the happiest of men, nor would I now have the prospect of remaining so for the rest of my life."

Her arms wound around his neck once again, and he kissed her gently. Elizabeth pulled away slightly and said between a series of additional delicate kisses, "You do… know that you… have not… asked… me to… marry you… for… more than… three years. I should demand… another… proposal."

He pulled his face away and, with mock insult, said, "Madam, I seem to remember asking for your hand six times!"

She laughed. "Well then, it falls to me, I suppose." Elizabeth became very serious. "Three years, one month, one week and two days ago you asked me to spend my life by your side. Today I ask the same of you, sir… Fitzwilliam Darcy, I love you with all of my heart and all of my soul. Will you be my friend, my partner, my lover, and my husband?"

He kissed her again. "Shall I say 'no' five times before finally accepting?"

"Actually, I never said 'no'; I simply told you to ask me again when you were recovered, and if I remember correctly--and you know very well that I do--I did say 'yes' twice."

"You might not have said 'no' those first four times, but you did not say 'yes'… and I did have to ask six times. So, I now choose to answer… mayhap." He kissed her again.

In an attempt to persuade him, she initiated a deeper kiss and pulled away. "Marry me, William?"

"I need more convincing…"

More kisses. "Marry me?"

"Perhaps," he said breathlessly.

She feathered kisses along his jaw line and asked again.

"Maybe," he whispered huskily.

She nuzzled his neck and worked her way up to his ear and whispered the question again, causing him to shiver.

He barely forced out a hoarse, "It is most probable."

She asked once more.

He turned the tables and began to kiss her neck as if it were air to a drowning man. When finally he elicited the breathlessness he was striving to produce, he whispered into her ear, "Yes! I will marry you, my Elizabeth." He moved to touch her face and looked deeply into her eyes.

Elizabeth pulled his head down and laid it on her chest. She said, "I told you years ago that my heart belonged to you and always would. I meant it, William. It has always been yours and will beat only for you for the rest of my life. I have never stopped loving you."

William listened to her heart for several minutes, with his hand over his own heart. "Our hearts are beating as one, Elizabeth!"

When she did not answer, he moved to look at her face. Elizabeth's eyes told him more than words ever could, and he lay his head down again. After a time, he straightened, kissed her, and said, "The servants will be waking soon, my love. We really should return to our rooms, or there will be more gossip spreading about Meryton."

She pulled herself against his chest again, saying, "Yes, I know, but I do not wish to leave you."

"When shall I go to your father, Elizabeth? I must explain everything to him."

Elizabeth was thoughtful for a few minutes before saying, "We will explain together, William. Oh! I cannot wait until our betrothal is public!"

"You will find me hard-pressed not to shout it out to everyone I meet. When I leave Longbourn, I may go to a rooftop in the center of the village of Meryton and do just that," he said with as serious a demeanor as he could manage, causing Elizabeth's laughter to echo throughout the library, inciting his own to join hers.

"That would be a sight to see, especially after the impression you have made here. Oh, please do tell me if you plan to do it, for I would dearly love to see the faces of my neighbors!"

There was no doubt that his countenance did turn serious after her statement, and she regretted teasing him. "William, you may have made the wrong first impression, but after they hear of your accomplishing the impossible, they will think better of you."

His eyebrows rose. "The impossible?"

She turned toward him. "Yes! First, you have won the heart of the only lady in Hertfordshire who has never been impressed by any man--as far as they are aware… you must have heard some of the gossip about me?" William shook his head.

"Well… before this newest round began, I was deemed a hoyden or bluestocking--take your pick between the two, for I will not repeat the others--who would never marry due either to my refusal to even look at a man or my never having met a man intelligent enough who could best me… at anything.

"Additionally, my love, being a wealthy landowner of the first circle, it is in your favor to value one of their own enough to condescend to choose to marry her over all of the ladies in the ton. And, rest assured, you will be loved by one and all in a matter of days once Mama begins to sing your praises!"

He chuckled. "I do hope so, but after what happened at the Assembly…"

"William--my mother will forgive you anything after she knows we are betrothed!"

The clock chimed, and Elizabeth looked at the window. There was a hint of light in the sky, which meant she must leave, and soon! "Would you mind if I tell Jane? She will be so pleased to know that she was right!"

"I do not mind at all. I am looking forward to having her as a sister. She quite impressed me last night."

Elizabeth delicately arched an eyebrow. "Oh, should I be jealous of that sentiment, sir?" she teased, but his look became serious.

"Elizabeth! Promise me that you will never again doubt my love for you, no matter what happens between us, no matter what you think you see or hear. I love you more than my own life. I will never betray you, and I will never stop loving you."

She nodded and said, "And you must promise me the same. If nothing else, being apart these three years has guaranteed that we will never take each other for granted." She sighed. "I must go, my sweet William."

He helped her off his lap and stood in front of her, his hand caressing her cheek. She reached up and kissed him gently, and then said, "I will see you at breakfast?"

"Yes, but I do think we should both get some sleep first. I will worry if you do not rest, Elizabeth… You have no idea what it was like for me after you fainted!"

"I will try my best to sleep a few hours, William. You will do the same?"

"Yes, I will." He captured her lips once more before walking her to the door. With a last long look back at him, she left the room.

William stared at the door for a time before turning around and surveying the room. So much had happened since he had entered just a few hours ago; even with her scent and the warmth where her body had pressed against his still lingering in his senses, it was difficult to believe it was real. He walked over to the sketches still scattered on the floor and began to gather them and put them away into the case. Enough time had passed… he left for his own bedchamber in a much different state of mind than when he had fled it the night before.

Posted on: 2011-04-22

Chapter 17

Although Caroline Bingley was not usually the early riser that most of the others of the party were, she insisted on being present whenever one or both of the Bennet ladies would be at table. She was overjoyed at the prospect of having the Bennets leave her house! Her brother had been much too attentive to Jane, and his friend behaved so strangely that Caroline thought for certain he was having a difficult time where Elizabeth was concerned. Of course, Charles would forget all about Jane within a few days and move on, as usual, and Mr. Darcy could never offer for Elizabeth since she was too unfashionable, unlike herself, so she had not been overly concerned during their stay. The only worry she did have was that Elizabeth might use her arts and allurements to trap him; Mr. Darcy was such an honorable gentleman, he would feel obligated to offer for her. He was too intelligent to fall for any such maneuvers as to be placed in a compromising position--a fact that she had learned first-hand--but since he seemed to be unusually attracted to Elizabeth, she worried that he would be carried away by his manly urges if Elizabeth made an improper advance upon his person. And so, it was for the best to have Elizabeth Bennet out of the house as soon as was possible.

Bingley's thoughts were quite different from those of his sister. Though he was very glad that she was feeling well enough to do so, Bingley was extremely disappointed that Jane would soon be leaving his house. He had been of the opinion that the Bennet sisters should stay another few days, but they had both stated that they felt well enough for the journey of three miles and did not wish to impose on his hospitality any longer. He did not want Jane to feel uncomfortable by his urging her to stay, and so he agreed.

Jane's countenance was even more serene than usual, but gave some tell-tale signals to Elizabeth's experienced eye that she was very sad to be leaving Bingley's company and protection--and would be very happy if she never had to leave his side again.

Mr. and Mrs. Hurst were still above stairs sleeping.

Elizabeth was feeling quite out of sorts and had spent the whole of the meal thus far simply staring at her plate. Though through the years she had learned to hide her emotions to some degree, as was expected by society, her natural tendency toward jesting when unsure of what to say had been quelled during the extenuating circumstance of having William in the neighborhood. Instead, she had turned to anger to hide the passionate torrent of emotions she had been feeling since his arrival.

After the previous night's disclosures and reconciliation, Elizabeth wished to admit to the entire room that she and William were in love and to be married, but she knew she should not until they had gained her father's consent. Though so far this morning, she had managed to school her features and check the silly grin that she had felt free to display while alone in her chamber, she was absolutely certain that the moment her eyes met William's, any pretense she had already achieved would melt away. Therefore, Elizabeth was determined not to look at William while they were at the table with the others--and she hoped that he would understand the reason behind her behavior.

When the door to the breakfast room opened once again and William entered, Elizabeth followed his progress through the room from the corner of her eye. William moved to the side table and filled his plate without looking at any of the room's occupants. It seemed to Elizabeth that he had the same idea as she!

As he approached the table, Bingley laughed and said, "Good morning, Darcy! I am happy to see that at least one of my guests is hungry today! Are you making up for the past few days when you have barely eaten?"

Looking down at his plate as if it were the first time he had seen it this morning, William realized that while he had not been attending, he had filled it with more food than two people could possibly eat at one sitting. He colored and bowed slightly, ignoring his friend's question. "Good morning, ladies. Good morning, Bingley."

Finding the only unoccupied chair being the one across from Elizabeth, William seated himself there to avoid the appearance of obviously dividing himself from the rest of the party. It took a great deal of restraint to keep his eyes directed away from his beloved Elizabeth, and soon he could control the urge no longer. When she did not return his gaze, he at first was afraid that she had changed her mind with the sobering light of day, and he could not tear his eyes away from her--desperately seeking some sort of reassurance.

Elizabeth could feel William's stare upon her and, after maintaining her control for several minutes, she could no longer resist. When their eyes finally met, her heart skipped a beat. Their eyes engaged for several moments while questions were silently asked and answered, and their feelings from the previous night were confirmed. So much was communicated between them in that short time that it was overwhelming her ability to control her countenance, and so, sooner than either of them would have liked, Elizabeth broke the spell created by their mutual gaze and returned her eyes to her plate.

The meal continued on with very little in the way of the consumption of food having been accomplished by anyone but Caroline.

Though much of Jane's attention was focused on Bingley, she could not help noticing that her sister and William were behaving quite differently than usual. Unaware as she was of the events that had passed the previous night after she had fallen asleep, she pondered the couple for a few moments.

Deciding that she would wait to enquire about Elizabeth's change in manner until the privacy of their carriage ride home to Longbourn, Jane considered the alterations in the gentleman's demeanor. While William's usual countenance was steady and stern, and last night he displayed his heart on his sleeve, this morning she could not describe him as anything but nervous. What could account for this change? Was he upset that he had exposed his feelings for Elizabeth, even if it had only been to herself and Bingley? Was he still concerned for her sister's health after her swoon? Or… there was something about him that made her think he had decided to seek out Elizabeth's good opinion after all.

Jane smiled as she thought how interesting it might be for Elizabeth to stay another few days in the same house with William, but at this time she could think of no way to accomplish that, short of deceit.

"Miss Bennet, it seems we all need a bit of cheering up and since you have found something to make you smile, will you share with us the subject?" Bingley asked.

Jane's smile widened as it always did whenever Bingley spoke to her, and though she hated to lie, she quickly recognized that a small fib was necessary, "I was just thinking of what an enjoyable evening we will have at the ball you have promised us, Mr. Bingley."

"I quite agree, Miss Bennet, but I am afraid that subject will serve only to put some of the occupants of the table into a deeper state of gloom. Darcy is not fond of dancing, and usually can never be found on the dance floor."

"Do you prefer cards to dancing, then, Mr. Darcy?" Jane asked.

"No, he does not." Bingley, not willing to give up Jane's attention, answered for him, "He usually stands around stalking the crowd, giving anyone who dares to approach him a stern look in order to frighten them off. You saw it, I believe, at the assembly."

Jane was feeling quite mischievous. "I did notice that Mr. Darcy did not dance much at the assembly ball… but he did dance with one partner."

William hesitated, struggling to form an answer. "I do not dance unless I am particularly familiar with my partner."

"And so does this mean, now that you are familiar with me, that I should expect an invitation to dance, sir?" Jane was beginning to feel rather wicked, but she wished to give him an opportunity to ask Elizabeth to dance without having to introduce the subject himself.

William stared at her for a moment, stunned that she would be soliciting a dance with him… but then noticed her eyes move slightly toward Elizabeth. "Matchmaking, Miss Bennet? You approve of me for your favorite sister and best friend? I suppose Elizabeth has not told you that we are engaged?" He could not help but feel a surge of confidence at the thought that Jane would approve. "Yes, Miss Bennet, you should…"

Bingley interrupted, "May I take this opportunity to ask for your hand for the first two dances, Miss Bennet?"

Jane smiled sweetly and colored, embarrassed that her idea had worked in her own favor instead of Elizabeth's. "I thank you, Mr. Bingley, I would be happy to dance the first set with you."

William chimed in immediately, "Miss Elizabeth, would you honor me with the first set as well?"

Elizabeth held her betrothed's gaze as she said, "Yes, Mr. Darcy, I will be pleased to do so," and watched the joy enter his eyes before he looked away again.

Elizabeth had been listening to the conversation in awe, wondering from whence her sister's boldness had suddenly appeared. She had never acted thus in the past and Elizabeth did not know she possessed the will within herself to do so at all. She saw Jane's intent, and if she had been any closer to her, she would have kicked her under the table to tell her to stop since Jane was avoiding her eyes. But the chances were that at this distance she would kick either Miss Bingley or William instead. Though she had little doubt that he would have asked her, she would have preferred it to be William's idea to ask her to dance instead of his feeling obligated by Jane's maneuvering… but Jane had planned it well. Jane knew that William would never ask her for the first set, and so she left open the opportunity for William to ask herself. Elizabeth could not be angry with her sister since her scheme had worked so perfectly in both their favors.

Caroline Bingley stood quickly, almost knocking over her chair. Huffing loudly, she turned up her nose and promptly exited the room.

As the Bennet ladies were returning upstairs to prepare to leave Netherfield, Jane remembered that she had been unable to find her shawl earlier that morning and told Elizabeth that she was going to check the drawing room to see if she had left it there during last night's confusion. Bingley was there and was not surprised to see her. Jane blushed, assuming correctly that he had been waiting for her, hoping for a few moments alone, though the subject he wished to discuss was not what she had originally hoped for.

Not knowing anything of what had occurred the previous night between his friend and Elizabeth, Bingley had devised a plan. "I am sorry, Miss Bennet, but I found your shawl and decided to wait for you here. We need to speak… I can see what you are about, and I would like to help if I can."

Jane's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Whatever do you mean, Mr. Bingley?"

"Why, Darcy and Miss Elizabeth, of course! You obviously know more than I about their history; Darcy can be quite tight-lipped about personal matters. I only know what his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, told me years ago but I did not know the name of the lady. From what I have observed since Darcy has come to Hertfordshire, I suspect that the lady was in fact Miss Elizabeth. I know not what occurred to separate them, but I must say that I have known Darcy for years, and I have never seen him act thusly toward any other lady. I have even seen my friend when distressed about his sister's being ill, but never have I seen him behave as he did last night! After what you saw as well, I do not think I am betraying any secrets when I say that he is thoroughly enamored with Miss Elizabeth. By your actions this morning, I can also see you are trying to forward his suit. I do not wish you to break any confidences, Miss Bennet, but I think the reason for it is that Miss Elizabeth feels the same way about my friend and is hesitant about giving her heart to him again.

"I can vouch for Darcy, Miss Bennet; he is the best man I have ever met in every aspect of his character and is not the type to dally with a lady's heart. In fact, I have never seen him interested in any lady before Miss Elizabeth. Since I also have the greatest respect for her, I am certain that whatever did occur to divide them in the past was based upon misunderstanding. I promise that you will not be sorry for helping him win your sister.

"Darcy has had a difficult life and because I would do almost anything to see my friend happy, I offer my services in this most worthy endeavor."

Jane smiled brightly and said, "You are a very good friend, sir. I think we have already begun to work together nicely, Mr. Bingley, as I observed your actions this morning as well--giving Mr. Darcy the hint to ask my sister for the first two dances."

Bingley colored. "I did at that, but I assure you that I was in earnest about wishing to secure the first with you, Miss Bennet! It was only a very convenient way of accomplishing both of my heart's desires in the same moment."

Jane extended her hand and said, "Mr. Bingley, I gratefully accept your offer of assistance."

Without looking away from her eyes, he bowed over her hand, hesitating a moment before brushing a gentle kiss across her knuckles. "It is a pleasure to be of service, Miss Bennet."

Little did the couple realize that their plan's happy conclusion had already been achieved!

After retreating to his room previous night, William had found it difficult to sleep, and so he did the same as he usually did whenever this occurred--he took out his journal to write to Elizabeth. He wished to tell her that she had made him the happiest of men. After staring at the blank page for a while, the solution of how to put into words the entirety of his feelings presented itself. He would give her the journal! If he handed it to her as she left Netherfield in the morning, Elizabeth would know for certain everything that had been in his heart these past three years.

After breakfast, William returned to his chamber to retrieve the journal. Any last-minute doubts about giving it to Elizabeth were pushed aside, and he brought it with him when he heard the ladies upon the stairs as they were descending to leave.

As Jane was being helped into her coat by Bingley, William approached Elizabeth and stood with his back to them, blocking Elizabeth from their view. "Miss Elizabeth, I hope you will read this book as I am certain it will answer any questions that might remain on the subject of which we last spoke. It will also provide you with much more information on similar subjects."

Elizabeth's eyes twinkled with mischief as she made certain that her hand caught his under the thick volume though she made it appear as if she reached to take it from him. William intertwined their fingers as he asked so quietly that only she could understand him, "May I speak to your father tomorrow, Elizabeth?"

She whispered, "Yes! I will make certain I am at home. I would not like to allow even one day to pass without seeing you, my love."

A warm glow shone from William's eyes as he stared lovingly into hers for a few moments. If he did not look away soon, he knew he would take her into his arms. Glancing down to the book they held between them, William asked, "You will read this?"

"If you wish it, I will. What is it?"

"I began a new journal the day you left Pemberley..."

Elizabeth interrupted, "Are you certain, William? A journal is usually full of such private thoughts…"

"Every word was meant for you to read. You will understand what I mean when you begin. Please, will you do this for me, Elizabeth?"

"I am honored that you wish to share it with me. Though, I cannot help but ask once more--are you perfectly sure that you will not regret allowing me to read it?"

"Yes. But… please keep in mind that I did not know your father had not kept our letters from you…"

Elizabeth arched her brow. "Ah! I can only imagine what you mean by that! I promise to remember and will not take offense."

"Thank you. Until tomorrow, then." William kissed her hand without releasing her eyes from his intense gaze. Their eyes remained locked until the carriage could be heard approaching. Bowing, he stepped back and waited for her to don her gloves before he escorted his beloved to the coach.

Both ladies peered out the window of the carriage to see the gentlemen as they stood in the drive watching the retreating carriage.

Once Netherfield was out of their view, Elizabeth noticed that Jane was still quite distracted, most likely with thoughts of Mr. Bingley's kindness--or other amiable attributes--and so she opened William's journal. Turning to the first entry, she saw it was written just after she had departed Pemberley. It was written as if he were writing a letter to her! Knowing that she could not read it now, she quickly turned the pages--enough to see that every entry was written as if it were a letter to her, and that the book was almost filled with his handwriting. She closed it quickly with a resounding snap, which attracted Jane's attention.

"What is it, Lizzy? You seem out of sorts today, and you are quite flushed just now. Perhaps Mr. Jones was mistaken? Do you feel ill? Mayhap we should not have left Netherfield today after all!"

Elizabeth wished for a reason to stay in her room for a while so that she could read William's journal, and therefore, she took advantage of her flustered state. "Jane, it is not so very far to Longbourn! I do believe I will survive a coach ride of twenty minutes in duration. You are partially correct, though; I did not sleep well last night, and I am very tired. I believe I will stay in my room and rest today."

Jane removed her glove and pressed her hand to Elizabeth's forehead. "You do not have a fever, but I agree that you should rest, dearest Lizzy. If you begin to feel ill, Papa will send for Mr. Jones, I am sure."

"Jane! Truly, there is no need! I shall be well."

When Elizabeth reached her room, she immediately settled in at the window seat and began reading. At first, she read it from the beginning, but then began flipping through William's journal, searching for certain dates that she felt were important. Elizabeth found it difficult to put it down--she had an urgent need to know all of what had occurred in William's life for the three years they had been parted.

Much of what she read caused her tears to fall upon the pages, in some cases adding to the stains that had been left there by his tears. She read of William's grief over his father's death, his confusion over the absence of communication from her father and herself, his desperate yet unsatisfied need for her love and support, his dissatisfaction at his inability to manage the estate perfectly, his elation whenever something he tried worked out right, his rage at his relatives, his fear for Georgiana, and William's excitement as her birthday neared.

It was at this point in her reading the journal the day following her return to Longbourn that Elizabeth heard the telltale sound of horses approaching the house. Glancing out the window, she saw that William and Bingley had arrived. She said a little prayer of thanks that her mother and youngest sisters were at Lucas Lodge, and only Jane and Mary would be present in the parlor for at least the first portion of the visit.

Elizabeth descended the stairs at the moment the gentlemen were handing over their coats and hats to Mrs. Hill. She stopped a few steps from the bottom of the staircase when William's eyes met hers, and she was treated to the sight of a wide smile spreading across his handsome face, causing sudden warmth to settle into her soul. She found that she could not move, afraid that she would rush into his embrace if she did. Elizabeth loved how the dark colors William preferred to wear deepened the chocolate brown of his eyes, even at this distance, and how the fine cut of the cloth accented his perfect physique. She certainly hoped theirs would not be a long engagement for she was quite looking forward to peeling off those layers of fine cloth and discovering exactly what lay beneath. The thought made her shiver as she saw William move toward her.

She could have no idea how the manner of her gaze soothed the doubts William had about having given her his journal. Relief spread through him at seeing her love for him reflected in her eyes.

William bowed before Elizabeth and said, "Good day, Miss Elizabeth. May I ask if you have recovered?"

It was several moments before she could recall to what he was referring. "Oh, yes! I am quite well. I thank you for your concern, Mr. Darcy."

"I believe we were about to be shown into the parlor. May I?" William held out his arm for Elizabeth, and she laid her hand upon it, immediately stepping down the remainder of the stairs and close to his side.

Hearing a chuckle from across the entryway, Elizabeth noticed for the first time a very amused-looking Bingley and a wide-eyed Mrs. Hill standing there. "Good day, Mr. Bingley. I hope your sisters and Mr. Hurst are well."

"It is good to see you, Miss Elizabeth. They are, thank you, and they send their regards."

Elizabeth turned towards Mrs. Hill so that the gentlemen could not see her face and answered her inquiring look with a bright smile, a wink and a glance towards William that made the housekeeper briefly raise her eyebrows almost to her hairline before she could school her features. "Mrs. Hill, will you send in a tea service, please?"

Mrs. Hill stole another look at William, who was gazing lovingly at Elizabeth, then returned her eyes to Elizabeth and answered while unsuccessfully attempting to hide a smile, "Yes, Miss Elizabeth."

Distracted by Elizabeth's presence as usual, William almost forgot the day's errand. "Mrs. Hill, I would like to speak to Mr. Bennet after greeting the ladies of the house."

"I will see if he's available, Mr. Darcy." Mrs. Hill curtsied and made her way down the hall to the kitchen to order tea before going to the master's study. Once out of the sight of the gentlefolk, Mrs. Hill smiled broadly, thinking that Miss Elizabeth deserved the happiness of a love match!

Mrs. Hill's return to the parlor did not come with the message she had originally thought it would. When Mr. Bennet heard that Mr. Darcy wished to speak to him alone, the master refused to see him! It was with great sadness that she had to inform the gentleman. "Beggin' your pardon, Miss Bennet," Mrs. Hill interrupted then turned to William, "Mr. Bennet isn't available to see you today, Mr. Darcy."

The pleasant look that had been directed at Elizabeth a moment before disappeared from his face as William briefly closed his eyes and then nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Hill. Do you know if he would be free to meet with me tomorrow?"

"I don't believe so, sir." Mrs. Hill responded, remembering the master's angry words in a tone so harsh that she had startled, "Not till Hades freezes over!" She hoped that he had used it as a figure of speech.

Mrs. Hill saw the concern on William's face and noticed Elizabeth's hand move to William's arm. Their eyes met, and there was a silent form of communication shared between them that Mrs. Hill had previously noticed only in couples who had been married for a length of time. A little of William's concern left his countenance, and she heard Elizabeth suggest a walk in the garden.

As she helped the two couples with their coats and hats, Mrs. Hill pondered the situation. Having been a member of the household since before Elizabeth had been born, the Bennet girls were almost like daughters to her--especially the eldest two. She also knew many of the Bennet family's secrets and had been privy to much of what had occurred between William's family and the Bennets in the past. Any feelings of resentment she had held for the Darcy family were outweighed by seeing how deeply in love this couple was. They deserved happiness, no matter what had happened in the past! Unfortunately, being the housekeeper, Mrs. Hill knew there was nothing she could do to convince Mr. Bennet to speak to William.

Mary had declined walking out, but Jane and Bingley accompanied Elizabeth and William. The group naturally divided into couples and Jane and Bingley fell back, out of hearing range of the other two.

Elizabeth broke the uncomfortable tension that had come between them. "William, I will speak to my father. Perhaps it would be better if I explained what happened without your being there…"

"Though I would appreciate the support your presence would provide during the interview, I should be the one to explain to your father what has occurred, my love. I know it will not be an easy conversation, but I wish to have the chance to clear my family's name with Mr. Bennet--and to apologize for the way I acted toward him at Lucas Lodge."

"That would be ideal, but I cannot force him to see you, William. Maybe if I told him a little of the situation, he would agree to meet with you?"

They walked on in silence for a few minutes, William absent-mindedly tracing patterns with his fingers upon her gloved hand that rested on his arm as he thought. "That may be the only option. I will return tomorrow in the event that he chooses to see me." William abruptly stopped walking, and she looked up at his worried face. "Elizabeth… if your father should not approve…"

"I have every confidence that he will approve once he knows all. If he does not--after all avenues to convince him have been explored--shall I need to beg you to take me to Scotland, or is it your turn to beg, Mr. Darcy?" The corners of Elizabeth's lips twitched as she held back a smile, but her amusement was apparent in her eyes.

Elizabeth's attempt at teasing William out of his brooding state of mind was highly successful. "I think perhaps it would be my turn--though I do hope you would resist the idea a little, requiring my having to convince you the way you convinced me to marry you, my beautiful temptress. I do look forward to your having the need to convince me of many things once we are married, Elizabeth."

The couples took another turn around the garden before the gentlemen feared it might be too cold for the ladies, and they returned indoors briefly before the gentlemen took their leave.

After they left, Elizabeth attempted to gain access to Mr. Bennet's study, but was refused. That evening after their meal, Elizabeth followed him into the study when he left the table. "Papa, may I ask why you would not see Mr. Darcy this afternoon? He wished to speak to you about all that had occurred over the past three years, sir."

Mr. Bennet's countenance exhibited his ire, a side of her father that Elizabeth rarely saw, "It is all too late, Lizzy."

"But, Papa…"

"No, Elizabeth! Nothing can excuse the way he has treated us. I will not hear him. You are excused!"

Elizabeth was shocked and dismayed. Her father had never spoken to her in such a way in her life. She retreated to her room to think for a while before joining her mother and sisters in the drawing room. After a few minutes, she decided that she would try again in two days, hoping he would be willing to listen to what she had to say after having had some time to cool his temper.

Retiring early that evening, Elizabeth continued to read William's journal. After his excitement in looking forward to seeing her again on her birthday, there had been a long gap in time until he wrote about the fire. He told her of the pain of his injuries, his aversion to ever having her know of his state until he had healed, and of his frustration at his lack of progress in healing. She was shocked to learn that William had almost given up hope that he would ever heal, but then he saw her at the theater and it had given him a new sense of determination to work harder so that he could win her love again. Elizabeth felt all of the pain that he and Georgiana had felt at Lieutenant Wickham's actions. She read of his apprehension and anticipation at going into Hertfordshire, his surprise at seeing her at the assembly, and his feelings about her own reaction to seeing him. His reactions to what had happened since he had been in Hertfordshire were so different than what she had assumed they had been. William wrote quite a lot while she was staying at Netherfield.

Very late that night, Elizabeth turned the page to the final entry and read:

My dearest Elizabeth,

More than three years have passed since I first began writing this journal, but I am at the same cross-roads as I was at that time. Tonight, you have made me the happiest of men again by agreeing to marry me.

I wrote to you in this journal of all the things I would have liked to have discussed with you in person, or would have written had we been engaged. And so, I have decided to give this to you so that you may be acquainted with what was in my heart while we were apart.

As much as I have learned over the time covered within these pages, the most valuable lesson I have learned has occurred since meeting you again--tonight, in fact.

By not seeking you out after I had been injured, I thought I was being selfless--putting your comfort over my own--because I thought the only thing I wanted was you--I wanted to feel your touch, to hear your voice, to see your face once again; I wanted you to comfort me when I was in pain, and when I was discouraged, I wanted to hear you urge me to go on.

But as I reflect over what I have written in this book and all that we said to each other earlier this evening, I realize that my reasons for staying away were quite selfish, indeed! I did not wish to burden you with my injuries; I did not wish to see your face when you witnessed the pain I was having; I did not want you to see how difficult the exercises were for me because I was afraid you would think me weak; I did not wish to see disgust or pity or regret in your eyes when you looked at me; I did not want to risk rejection; I wished to be able to use my arm when I next saw you so that I did not feel humiliation.

You should have been given the choice, Elizabeth, and yet I did not allow it. Instead of protecting you from information that would have been painful for you, I hurt you by leaving you with no information at all. What else could you do but guess at what might have happened? What more logical conclusion could you reach than that I no longer cared for you, or possibly never had?

I would not have blamed you if you had lost all the tender feelings you once had for me, and I cannot explain to you how ecstatic I am that you did not. I thank you for loving me even when you thought all hope was gone.

The remainder of my life will be spent attempting to make certain that you are never sorry for loving me, my heart!

I am forever yours,
William

The following day was much like the one previous to it, though Mrs. Bennet and all her daughters were present. When the gentlemen arrived at Longbourn, the couples were quite happy to see each other, but Mr. Bennet continued to refuse to see William. Mrs. Bennet acted quite rudely, speaking civilly to Bingley and either ignoring or sending bitter comments in William's direction. Following their mother's example, Kitty and Lydia ignored William as well. Elizabeth was mortified, and William stood by the window looking out to avoid causing Elizabeth any more discomfort. Jane suggested a short walk in the garden, and Elizabeth joined her and the gentlemen. Mrs. Bennet had the younger girls attend as well, but as soon as they were outdoors, Kitty and Lydia, not wishing to be near William, went off on their own. Again, those remaining paired off to stroll, and again Elizabeth and William remained silent until Jane and Bingley were well away and unable to hear them.

Elizabeth could not look at him as she said, "Oh, William! I must apologize for my mother's behavior! She knows not what she is about. If only my father would speak to you--she would truly be overjoyed at the news."

"My Elizabeth, I understand that Mrs. Bennet's behavior would be quite appropriate if what she believes I have done was actually true. That is why I forgive your father for refusing to see me as well, though doing so will not help to clear up this misunderstanding. I hold no ill will towards anyone for what they do in the name of protecting the most important person in my life--you." They shared a loving look in silence.

"My father would not speak to me on the subject, and so I could not give him any information about you. He practically threw me from the room when I brought up your name. I have never heard him speak so harshly."

With a pained expression, William replied, "Do not risk your relationship with your father, Elizabeth. Allow him another day or two to become accustomed to the idea that I wish to speak with him. I will make another attempt to speak to him before the ball, and I will be a little more insistent on seeing him next time. I hope to have this resolved before meeting any of your family in public again."

They walked on for another few minutes in silence before Elizabeth said, "If only we had a few minutes without being in full view of the house…"

His return look was warm before seeing the expression upon her face. Elizabeth was not looking at him, but beyond him toward the house, and her mien was one of fear. William turned to see Mr. Bennet walking towards them, looking quite furious.

"Lizzy, return to the house!"

"I will not, Papa. Mr. Darcy and I wish to speak to you…"

"That is quite enough, Elizabeth! Return to the house at once."

Elizabeth stood her ground, and when she did not move, Mr. Bennet took her hand off William's arm and gently pulled her away from William's side. "I will speak to Mr. Darcy right now, after you have returned to the house."

She looked to William who nodded, and then said, "Yes, Papa," and walked toward the house.

When Elizabeth was out of sight, Mr. Bennet turned to William and began to speak in a low, but threatening tone, "I know what you are about, Mr. Darcy, and I will not have it! I have seen the damage your game has wrought in the past, and I will not allow you to dally with my daughter's affections once again!" He began to walk away from William, but stopped when William spoke, though he did not turn to look at him.

"Mr. Bennet, I have always been honest about my feelings for Elizabeth, and I remain so now. You cannot understand unless you hear what I have to say, sir. Please allow me to explain…"

Mr. Bennet turned to face William, and took a step closer. "That conversation should have taken place on Elizabeth's seventeenth birthday, or when your father died. I find I no longer have the need to find out what happened. After all you have done to our family, I have no wish to hear what you condescend to tell me now, Mr. Darcy. Goodbye."

William watched Mr. Bennet walk briskly to the house.

Elizabeth was waiting just inside the door to her father's study, expecting both he and William to come to this room once William had convinced her father to listen. When her father entered without William, she asked, "You still will not listen to what he has to say? You have sent him away?"

"I will not listen, and yes, I have sent him away."

"Papa, I have listened, and I have forgiven William, completely. You will as well if you give him a chance to explain. Since we left Pemberley, too many false conclusions have been assumed on both sides; you owe it to William to listen to the truth. If you will not allow William to tell you, at least allow me…"

"I will not listen to his falsehoods!" Mr. Bennet interrupted, "And I certainly will not hear the lies with which he has poisoned your mind. You will not speak of this again!"

"I have not been poisoned by the truth! You disappoint me, Papa. You have always impressed me as a man who sought the truth in any situation. William is not to blame for what has happened any more than you or I. That is the truth. You do need to hear the remainder of the story, sir, and when you are ready to listen, I will tell it to you--but I will not speak to you before that time!" Elizabeth turned on her heel and left the room.

Due to heavy rains and unsafe travelling conditions, the following three days did not see a return visit from William to attempt to speak to Mr. Bennet.

With the exception of meals, Mr. Bennet remained in his study. These days were not spent idly; he was deep in thought. Several times he was very close to calling Elizabeth in to discuss the situation with William, especially after the two had spent a meal sitting next to each other in deafening silence. But he did not.

Elizabeth spent much of her time reading William's journal. She had decided that she would read no more of the hardships he had faced, for she had every intention to discuss those with him personally; instead she concentrated on reviewing the parts where he told her how much he loved her and missed her and how every night he would fall asleep thinking of her--especially the passages in which he would describe what he thought their life would be like once they married, the places he would like to take her to see, what they would do there, how he dreamed of just having her by his side while doing the simplest of things like reading in their library and sharing meals, and how he looked forward to the time that she would sleep in his arms every night.

She had never before felt the need to read the same page twice, but there were several portions of William's journal which she read several times over--even though she had them memorized the first time--finding great comfort in tracing his lettering of certain words with her fingertip.

Elizabeth had not told Jane about her engagement to William or of the continuing argument with Mr. Bennet. The latter would have upset her sister too much, and she could not divulge the former without exposing Jane to the gravity of the argument. Jane had inquired once about the lack of communication between Elizabeth and their father, but Elizabeth had avoided talking about the estrangement. Jane could see that she would not speak of it until she was ready and she wisely refrained from questioning Elizabeth again.

Chapter 18

William had spent the days between the last time he had seen Elizabeth and the ball alternating between a state of extreme unease and pure joy. He barely knew what to do with himself. When he was not lost in thoughts about his future with Elizabeth, displaying a silly grin for all to see, he was brooding over not being able to speak to Mr. Bennet or make his future known to the world and wearing an accompanying scowl.

He also wondered what Georgiana was about. Though he had sent several letters since he had arrived at Netherfield, Georgiana had not written once. He chose to believe that she had been angry for his remaining in the area after he discovered that Elizabeth lived so close by. He had never known his sister to act in such a way, but, then, they had never been in such a situation before either. William's last letter was written the morning after Elizabeth left Netherfield explaining the strange circumstances of none of them having received posts from the others. He also shared a brief accounting of his new understanding with Elizabeth, telling her how happy he was and asking for her blessing upon their marriage, reminding her that at one time she had loved Elizabeth as a sister and telling her that he was confident she would feel that way again soon.

But first, Mr. Bennet had to agree to see him and grant his consent!

Bingley seemed to sense his distress and tried to distract him with games of backgammon, billiards, chess--but the most helpful activity proved to be a few heart-to-heart talks about their mutual interest in the eldest Bennet daughters. Bingley's hearty congratulations were accepted with an expression of joy upon William's face, the likes of which he had never before witnessed upon his friend's countenance. Secretly, Bingley applauded himself on working well with Jane to forward the match!

As the day of the ball drew closer, William became even more anxious. Would Mr. Bennet allow him to dance with Elizabeth, or would he make a public statement against him without knowing all the facts? There was one thing of which he was certain, he would have to spend most of the evening watching Elizabeth dance with other men… and so the ugly head of jealousy was reared in addition to the turbulent mix of other emotions he was feeling.

William was in quite a state when the first carriage arrived at the door on the evening of the ball. He thought himself to be looking quite casual as he observed the arrivals from the second floor window just above the entrance to the house.

When Mr. Bennet disembarked, William's back stiffened. He had to prepare himself! Mrs. Bennet and Jane Bennet alighted… and then Elizabeth stepped down.

He could never understand how every time he saw her, she was more beautiful, even if it had only been a few hours since last they were together. The amount of time between sightings seemed to make a great deal of difference in this phenomenon--the greater the time, the more beautiful she became. But this was almost as great a change as it had been between the times he had seen her at Longbourn and Pemberley three years ago. Though not physically changed this time, there was an inner glow that radiated from her soul outward in every direction. He was completely entranced by her. His features displayed absolutely every emotion he was feeling. His right hand reached out towards her, only to be stopped by the glass of the window.

She looked up at him, their eyes met, and his heart swelled with love.

If Elizabeth thought her anticipation could not become more intense when the family entered the coach, she was greatly mistaken. By the time the coach had begun the approach along Netherfield's drive, she was grasping Jane's hand so firmly that Jane had to signal for her to loosen her hold a bit.

Mr. Bennet was watching Elizabeth carefully, but she had not noticed. Her eyes were sparkling, her smile was genuine, and he could not help but smile at her obvious happiness. He wondered at this change, and if her exceptional state of mind over the past few days could be credited to what had occurred between Elizabeth and William at Netherfield. If so, then it might have been for the best after all. Perhaps it had been wrong of him--perhaps he should listen to what William had to say? Was it all a misunderstanding as Elizabeth had implied?

Elizabeth was the most intelligent woman--person--he had ever known, and normally he would not doubt her judgment on any matter. Was it only bitterness that gave him doubts about her interpretation of William's reasons for abandoning them?

If Elizabeth could forgive William, it was time to consider it himself.

When he helped his second eldest daughter from the coach, Mr. Bennet noticed she was trembling, and then she froze, and the most brilliant smile that she had ever displayed spread slowly across her face. Elizabeth's eyes were filled with such love that Mr. Bennet's own eyes began to sting. Mr. Bennet followed her gaze up to the second floor to the window overlooking the front steps, and there he saw William, just in time to witness his features transform. It was as if dawn had broken after a wretched night.

There it was displayed for everyone to see plainly. Mr. Bennet fully realized just how wrong his accusations had been! There was no way even he could doubt the sincerity of the young man's look; William truly did love Elizabeth even more than he had when they had left Pemberley. William had been hiding behind a mask like his father used to do!

Mr. Bennet did not realize until a few moments later that he said aloud, "Thank G-d!"

Jane took his arm, and he looked down to find her eyes filled with tears as she said, "I am very thankful as well that the misunderstanding has finally been put to rights, Papa! It is wonderful to see Lizzy happy again!"

He squeezed Jane's hand and said, "I am certain that if Lizzy is satisfied with his explanation, I will be as well." He hesitated as they began to climb the steps. "I expect I will be giving my consent after hearing his account myself. Do you think that your mother could put a wedding together in the three weeks time that it takes to read the banns, my dear? I think they have waited long enough, do you not?"

Jane smiled as she said, "Yes, I do. And I believe my mother can manage anything if she puts her mind to it, sir."

As Elizabeth entered the house, William stood about half-way down the stairs watching her look around the chamber until she found him, and her smile widened again. He said a silent prayer begging that this was not another dream that he would awaken from in a few minutes, resulting in his plunging into utter despair when he found that it had not been real. As she was helped from her wrap, he made his way towards her. Having eyes only for Elizabeth, he was surprised when Mr. Bennet stepped in his way. "Good evening, William."

A touch of concern entered William's expression. "Good evening, Mr. Bennet. I have been granted the first set from Miss Elizabeth. May I, sir?"

"From the look on my daughter's face since we have arrived, I do not think she would ever forgive me if I did not agree to it. I suppose you and Lizzy have made amends, but you and I still have much to speak of, William. Will you join me tomorrow afternoon in my study for a discussion?"

William smiled slightly. "Yes, sir! I would be happy to clear up all the misunderstandings between us, Mr. Bennet, and I would like to apologize as well for any rude comments that I have made to you in the past. Miss Elizabeth has set me to rights about what has taken place at Longbourn, and I have been eager to enlighten you as to all that has occurred at Pemberley. I will be prepared for a long discussion, sir."

William held out his hand and Mr. Bennet shook it, and then Mr. Bennet stepped aside while saying, "Enjoy the ball, William. I will see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir!" William said with a smile as his eyes focused once again upon Elizabeth.

As William approached, he bowed and spoke, "Good evening, Miss Elizabeth. May I escort you into the ball?"

She gracefully curtsied, and her smile brightened once again. Placing her hand in the crook of his right arm as he offered it, she replied, "Good evening, Mr. Darcy. Yes, you may. I must congratulate Mr. and Miss Bingley. Netherfield has never looked so festive."

He did not take his eyes off her as he said, "I have never seen anything more splendid than the sight before me." He hesitated and then added, "You look quite lovely tonight, Elizabeth."

He pronounced her Christian name as if it were sacred, and it made her blush even more than she had at his compliment. Her throat was too tight to answer him. How often had she imagined similar scenes to the one playing out now?

William looked to the place where her hand rested on his arm and was delighted that she had not yet donned her gloves; the feel of her hand on his recovering arm was heavenly, and he pulled her a little closer to his side. Though he did not believe any touch of hers could have ever truly pained him, he knew that just a few months ago, even her touch would have been uncomfortable. As they neared the ball room, he placed his hand over hers; he had spent the past three years longing to touch her and was determined to take any opportunity to do so again. Tingling warmth began where their skin met and spread throughout his body. He felt her shiver and was thrilled to think that his touch might cause a similar sensation within her. She met his eyes again at last, and what he saw there made his heart sing.

From behind him, William heard Bingley clear his throat and startled… he had forgotten they were not alone. Bingley came closer and said loudly enough for them both to hear, "You may not wish to go further into the ballroom, Darcy, but the rest of us do. Move off to the side if you would rather stay in the hall; you are holding up the entire party!"

William looked around him and realized that he and Elizabeth had stopped at the door to the ballroom and that indeed there was a crowd behind them waiting to enter. He began to move forward once again as Elizabeth started to laugh--that wonderful, magical tinkling laugh that he had not heard since they had been together at Pemberley.

When Elizabeth's laughter rang out, it echoed about the ball room, and a number of people turned to look, recognizing the genuine happiness in it--a sound that they had not heard from her in years--causing several people to smile and a few to sigh in relief. One sigh had a hint of regret to it.

The sound of his beloved's laughter caused William to smile widely, displaying his dimples for the entire assembly to see. William answered his friend's comment while looking at Elizabeth, "Bingley, tonight I am actually looking forward to dancing--at least the first set."

"Well, well! What a memorable occasion this is; I must take note of the date! All of London will be jealous of those in attendance! We shall not only be witness to Fitzwilliam Darcy's dancing the first set, but we can also attest to Fitzwilliam Darcy's anticipating a dance with pleasure! I wonder what has changed his opinion so completely. Is the Hertfordshire air good for his disposition, do you think, Miss Bennet? Or perhaps, it is the pleasant company?"

Bingley had Jane on his arm and was gazing upon her with an expression similar to the looks William had been bestowing upon her sister. Jane smiled beautifully but did not comment.

William colored a little--why was Bingley speaking so loudly now? He never took his eyes off Elizabeth's, gauging her reaction to his friend's words. He saw understanding dawn within her--Bingley had confirmed what his usual habits were at a ball. William was glad that his friend did not announce to the entire neighborhood the usual jest that Bingley was so fond of--that William always had to be dragged onto the dance floor practically kicking and screaming.

Gazing into Elizabeth's eyes and seeing there all the love that he had seen long ago caused William to feel as if he was not just the master of Pemberley--weighted down by responsibilities and afraid of failure because so many people depended on his making the correct decisions. Suddenly, he was the same carefree young man who had seen that look in Elizabeth's eyes years ago while he was recovering from an accident in the woods, the man who was not embarrassed for anyone to know his feelings for her, and who was so certain that she would eventually agree to spend the rest of her life with him if he was honest about his feelings, that he had continued to ask her to do so no matter how many times she had put him off.

Pulling out all the stops, William answered, "Unquestionably, it is Miss Elizabeth's company that has inspired my welcoming any course of action in which she wishes to engage that, among any other company, I have striven to avoid… whether it be a simple diversion or a long term endeavor. It is as it has always been." William's hand was still covering Elizabeth's, and he unconsciously caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

This exchange attracted quite a bit of attention, to say the least. Bingley had purposely timed his own speech to coincide with their passing not only the most capable gossips of Meryton, but a few of Caroline's friends from London as well--well-placed friends who were also most effective at spreading the most recent gossip among the ton.

William's smile and the look he directed at Elizabeth were enough to convince the ladies of Meryton that he did not disapprove of her in the least, especially since he was engaging in this behavior before a number of guests from London--shocking them all into believing their previous suppositions had been incorrect. After much debate as the evening progressed, and knowing Elizabeth Bennet's temper when riled, it became the accepted opinion of the group that their earlier behavior was the result of a disagreement between a couple very much in love, a misunderstanding which was now obviously resolved to the complete satisfaction of both parties.

The ladies whom Caroline had invited tended to stand together unless dancing, and many of the local gentlemen stayed as far away from their glares as was possible, so they did not dance often this night. Much of their conversation centered on the behavior of one Fitzwilliam Darcy. The opportunity of spending time in his company happened to be the only reason they had travelled the three hours from town, and his current behavior was rather disappointing to them all. When William displayed his dimples, those among the ladies who did not practically swoon were wide-eyed in shock. Fitzwilliam Darcy smiled, and he smiled for a lady! All of the ladies agreed that this awe-inspiring sight had been absolutely unheard of previously! Though each was more than a little disappointed that this smile was not directed at them, the entire group knew what an excellent piece of gossip this was and paid very close attention to the Master of Pemberley and his mystery lady from that moment on. All were privately plotting as to how to manage an introduction to Miss Elizabeth Bennet to attain first-hand knowledge of her.

Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst were well sought after as conversation partners since they were the only people these ladies knew who would have information about the Miss Bennets. The Londoners admitted among themselves that they expected the opposite of what these two ladies said about her would be true. It was well known that Caroline had convinced herself long ago that she would be the next mistress of Pemberley, and though everyone else knew it was a lost cause, her sister seemed to support her in her delusion. This obvious turn in the status of Mr. Darcy's heart would not be well received by either of the sisters, though their brother seemed to approve whole-heartedly… and more than a few thoughts about his love interest were exchanged as well.

All of the gentlemen whom Bingley had invited from London had known William for years and were among the members of the ton that William could tolerate--and they had been invited by Bingley for the express purpose of helping his friend feel more comfortable with the crowd at the ball. Some had married worthy ladies of whose personalities even William could not disapprove. This group spent the evening commenting on the changes in their friend's behavior and the attractiveness of the lady who seemed to have brought them about.

Not wholly unexpected by some of those from London, their every word was devoured by the locals, who in most cases were anxious to learn how those of the ton behaved at events as grand as these. Once they heard what--or who--was the most frequent subject of conversation between the fashionably rich set, their only interest was in spreading about what the Londoners were saying: Fitzwilliam Darcy, one of the most honorable men and eligible catches in England, had finally been caught.

William and Bingley were on an errand to fetch their ladies glasses of punch while said ladies stood watching their progress. Elizabeth was amazed that William had made such a statement to his friend in full hearing of so many people, even before speaking to her father!

A few minutes after the gentlemen had returned, Bingley gave a signal to the musicians who in turn played a few notes to alert the crowd that the dancing would soon begin. The gentlemen disposed of the ladies' cups and led their partners to the dance floor. Bingley was opening with Jane; second in the set were William and Elizabeth, and the others lined up beside them. There were many gasps from those who had not already seen the changes in William's demeanor… including a loud exclamation which few could mistake as coming from anyone other than Mrs. Bennet.

"What could Lizzy mean by dancing with that… that man?" Mrs. Bennet was heard to say.

Mr. Bennet answered, "Be careful what you say here tonight, Mrs. Bennet. You may soon regret it. It would not do to insult the good friend of Mr. Bingley, would it?"

"Oh well… when you put it like that, I suppose it would not. But I still do not understand what Lizzy could be thinking!"

"Look at Lizzy, Mrs. Bennet."

"I am looking at her, Mr. Bennet. How else do you think I know with whom she is dancing?"

"Mrs. Bennet, you are looking in her direction, but you are not really looking at Lizzy. Watch her for a few moments."

Mrs. Bennet did, and when she turned to speak to her husband she did so with tears in her eyes. "She looks happy, Mr. Bennet. Happier than I have seen her in several years."

"Yes, she does at that." He gave her a pointed look and continued, "We do not wish to do anything to ruin her happiness, do we?"

Mrs. Bennet shook her head. "Did he give any explanation as to why his family has done what they have to her and to you?"

"Not as of yet, but we will meet tomorrow afternoon to discuss it. If Lizzy can forgive him, I will do my best to do the same depending on whether his excuse is reasonable enough. Though I may not be able to forget… we shall see what he says."

She choked on her breath. "He has ten thousand a year and very likely more!"

Mr. Bennet laughed loudly.

Kitty and Lydia were moving down the set towards where the couple was standing. At first, Mrs. Bennet watched her youngest daughters with a small smile, but then as she looked at the other ladies dancing near them, realizing they were from the London group, she noticed the looks of disgust on their faces as they glared at her youngest daughters in obvious disapproval of their behavior. Looking down the set and seeing the great difference between the behavior of these two and all of the other ladies, Mrs. Bennet said, "Mr. Bennet, I believe I should speak with Kitty and Lydia when this dance is done. They will need to tame their behavior or else one of us shall need to take them home."

Mr. Bennet's eyes widened, "Excuse me, madam; have we been introduced?"

"Mr. Bennet! And you call me silly!"

"It is just that, for a moment, I thought I must have mistaken someone else for my wife. Are you feeling quite well, my dear?"

"Yes, I am, Mr. Bennet. I do not know why you would think otherwise."

"This is the first time I have ever heard you criticize Lydia's behavior, or for that matter, Kitty's when she was following Lydia's lead."

"Oh, Mr. Bennet! How you tease me! Just look at the way they are behaving compared to the other ladies. They are making quite a spectacle of themselves, are they not?"

"Do not misunderstand me; I agree with you completely. It is only that I am surprised to hear you say these words, even though everybody else has been saying them for years."

"Everybody else? Do you mean gossip? That is impossible--I would have heard it before now if that were so."

"Do you think anyone would have repeated gossip about your own daughters within your hearing? You tend to… make your presence known whenever you are in a room, my dear, while I am usually quietly in the background, and many do not notice I am there before they speak. I am certain I have heard much that you have not."

"Are you saying that our daughters have been the subject of gossip for years, and you have not told me?" Mrs. Bennet was horrified.

"I have attempted to, Mrs. Bennet, but you would not listen. You told me it was all nonsense, that they were just spirited girls, and others were jealous of them."

Mrs. Bennet watched the dance as she thought back over quite a few occasions that she had used those exact words. "I do remember now, Mr. Bennet. I apologize; I thought you were only teasing me--as usual. But why have you not corrected their behavior if you have often found fault with it?"

Mr. Bennet's eyebrows shot up as he stared at her in surprise. "I have--many times in fact--but as soon as I did, you told them not to pay me any mind and encouraged them to do the opposite. After a while they both stopped listening to me at all and acted any way they pleased. I often retreated to my bookroom only to escape them." He gestured toward the girls in question, who were becoming quite rowdy. "It seems that even after all these years of marriage, you and I have not found an effective way of communicating with each other, Mrs. Bennet. Perhaps we should discuss this subject at length tomorrow?"

She looked at him with surprise as well--was her husband actually taking something she had to say seriously? "I agree that we should, Mr. Bennet."

Just then the music ended, and Mrs. Bennet scurried away to intercept her youngest daughters before they could do any more damage. Mr. Bennet noticed how she had them sit out one dance to watch the other ladies' behavior and then moved closer in time to hear his wife say, "You will behave as if you are ladies, or you will be taken home immediately and not permitted into society until you can. Is that clear?"

Both girls were staring at their mother with wide eyes, nodding in agreement. They knew once their mother had her mind made up there would be no convincing her otherwise.

Elizabeth and William's dance was much different than the one they had shared at the assembly ball. There were no uncomfortable moments, no glares, no stern looks, and no stone mask pushing them apart this time. Every move was synchronized as if they had danced together their entire lives, and it was often noted by those watching that they were the most graceful couple they had ever seen. Their eyes never appeared to leave each other's, and more than one person commented upon the fact that they seemed to move a bit too closely, brushing arms and shoulders as they passed each other. Not many words were exchanged; their eyes spoke a language all their own, rendering conversation unnecessary. Whispers moved through the crowd like a wave--the gist being, "It seems they were created for one another!"

After the first set, William requested the second, but Elizabeth only smiled. When he asked again she responded, "I heard you the first time, sir… I was only trying to puzzle out how to answer you. You could not possibly have meant to ask me to dance again immediately following our last. What would everyone think?"

"I have no interest in what anyone will think. You seem to enjoy dancing, and I have no wish to see you dance with anyone else!" William said with a smile.

"You will insist on every dance this evening?" Elizabeth laughed.

How he had missed that teasing sparkle in her eyes. "It may be selfish of me, but yes--absolutely; I insist upon it."

"I will grant you the supper dance, sir, but I will not insult my neighbors by ignoring them. I will dance with my friends, if they ask me. I always dance the second set with John Lucas--it is a tradition--and I see him coming this way right now."

William felt the need to speak quickly before her old friend encroached, "If you will not oblige me for them all, will you at least agree to grant me the last set of the evening?"

Elizabeth hesitated before saying, "The opening set, the supper set, and the closing set? You do know you will be as good as declaring your intentions to the entire neighborhood?"

"I have no fear of laying out my intentions for all to see, Elizabeth," he whispered close to her ear as John Lucas was almost within hearing range.

William glared at John over Elizabeth's shoulder as she took a step backwards to see his eyes. "I am thoroughly disappointed to see a scowl upon your face after saying such a thing, Mr. Darcy."

His eyes darted to hers and saw the smile playing with the edges of her lips, and relief flooded him.

With one brow arched, Elizabeth warned, "You will not chase away my friends to prevent me from dancing with anyone else. They are only friends, and they are all certain of it. All of them."

Though he did not look very pleased at the moment, William nodded in reply. Elizabeth turned to make the introductions between her beloved and her oldest friend. When William saw the look in John Lucas's eyes as he looked from Elizabeth to himself and back again, William actually felt sympathy for the gentleman. He had never seen such defeated anguish in another man's eyes--up 'til that moment, he had only seen it in his own reflection when he had thought all hope to win Elizabeth's good opinion had been lost. But sympathy was not enough for William to actually like the fact that John Lucas was dancing with the woman who had only just begun to look upon him with favor again.

William could not have known that John Lucas had lost all hope of winning Elizabeth's heart the moment she had returned from Pemberley three years prior. John had tried to be the man to put the sparkle back into her eyes and return the happiness to her laughter, but had failed in the attempt. Here stood the man who had taken those qualities away from her, but he was also the man who was able to return them simply by directing a smile at Elizabeth. John resented William for it all, but above all else, he wanted Elizabeth to be happy; consequently, he was making a valiant attempt to accept the gentleman. He could not help but feel a slight victory as he walked away with Elizabeth on his arm, and he made certain to meet William's gaze whenever their hands touched during the dance.

While William was keeping a very close watch on their set, he heard a familiar voice say, "I see you have finally taken my advice, Mr. Darcy, discarding that stern manner of yours earlier this evening."

Turning to see Baron Leisenheimer, he smiled. "Good evening, Baron. I am trying, sir."

"Do not allow it to return the moment Miss Lizzy walks away from you, or else you will lose all the ground you have gained tonight."

"Have I done that, Baron?"

"Well, actually, it is more of a glare this time. I am not sure which I prefer, but I think Mr. Lucas would certainly prefer the former! Miss Lizzy will be angry at you if you scare away all her dance partners, son."

"I suppose I require practice with showing a limited amount of emotions without hiding it all. I will attempt to control myself, sir. I thank you for the warning--I did not realize--I just do not like seeing Miss Elizabeth dance with other men."

"Ah, yes, I do understand that--you see my wife dancing just now." He nodded his head in her direction, "I have always felt the same way. But I am the only man she looks at in that special way… and I am the man she goes home with at night. I have been watching Miss Lizzy tonight, and she has been looking upon you in much the same manner that Lilias looks upon me. It seems my wife's intuition was correct again, eh, Mr. Darcy?"

William smiled briefly, but then it faded as he said, "Until I am the man Miss Elizabeth goes home with, I will not feel comfortable watching her being led away from me by another."

Most of the single ladies from London were envious of Elizabeth, but they held no ill will against her. They could not blame the lady for taking advantage of the situation in which she found herself with Mr. Darcy!

The only person in the room truly put out by the occurrences of the evening thus far was Caroline Bingley, who had spoken poorly of the Bennet family at every opportunity to the other ladies of the ton.

Louisa Hurst was also slightly upset, but only because she knew she would never hear the end of this when in the company of her sister. She spent most of the evening lost in thoughts of planning a long trip with her husband to see his family in the very near future--without Caroline.

Caroline was more than a little disappointed when the supper set began, and she saw William claim Elizabeth for another dance, feeling it was her right to dance this set and sit with him at dinner since he had been their house guest for such a length of time. "He is making a fool of himself! It would not matter if it was only the locals, but in front of his peers from the ton, it does! He could never marry Eliza Bennet, so why he wastes his time on that little chit is beyond my comprehension!"

Upon walking into the dining hall, Bingley waved Elizabeth and William over and had them sit across from Jane and him. He had arranged around them some friends that he had invited himself. William's good friend Lord Luke Hamilton, who was two years William's senior, was sitting on the opposite side of Elizabeth. William knew they would get along pleasantly, and he had no worries about the man vying for her attention since he was happily married to the lady seated next to him. Lady Augusta Hamilton was a friend to one of the daughters of the Leisenheimers and was occupied in conversation with the Baron and Baroness seated next to her.

Across from the Hamiltons was Peter Barnes. "New money" like Bingley, his family had made their fortune in supplying ammunition to the Army. Barnes had been in Hamilton's year at Cambridge, and the two had become close friends. Barnes had partnered with Charlotte Lucas for supper, and the two seemed to be getting along splendidly.

Next to William were the Reverend James Owen and his wife, Mrs. Elise Owen. Mr. Owen was the fifth son of the Earl of ---, and had been in Bingley's year at Cambridge.

Across from the Owens and next to Bingley was Mr. Christopher Warren. Though Warren's father had been partners with Bingley's family in business, his family's investments were not as large; therefore, he remained in trade, mostly supplying much called for items to the Royal Army and Navy. His supper partner was a friend of Caroline's who, having mistaken Mr. Warren for a gentleman, was highly displeased to discover that he was in trade, and as a result, was engaged in the act of ignoring him.

Caroline and the remainder of the guests that she had invited from London were sitting next to this lady and across from them. William felt grateful they were too far from him and Elizabeth to engage them in conversation.

William gave Bingley a slight nod, thanking him for surrounding them with such well-informed, open-minded people. William had only the expectation of entertaining conversation, but he received so much more. As supper progressed, he watched in awe as Elizabeth was able to engage in discourse on any subject. Topics ranged from politics with the Viscount, arms with Barnes, some recent legal issues concerning trade with Warren, and sermon-writing with Owens. With the ladies she was equally at ease, discussing music, literature, housekeeping, servants, and fashion--even the dreaded subject of embroidery came up, which made William chuckle and Elizabeth to look at him conspiratorially.

Lady Augusta Hamilton discovered through the Baroness that she had met Elizabeth several years earlier while visiting at Purvis Lodge during a summer break from the school she had attended with their daughter. "Miss Elizabeth is little Lizzy? No… it cannot be!" She turned to Elizabeth and said, "Miss Elizabeth, I am sorry I did not recognize you sooner!"

"Perhaps you would have, Lady Hamilton, had I been wearing a torn dress, no shoes, some mud smeared on my face, and carrying a snake in my hands!" Elizabeth said with a serious demeanor and a teasing sparkle in her eye.

Lady Augusta laughed. "Yes, I do think that would have helped a little! Was it a snake? I seem to remember a frog!"

"Originally I had brought you a frog, but you were afraid it might really be a toad and that it would give you warts, so I brought you a snake in its stead."

Leaning forward to see William, Lady Hamilton said, "Oh, what a dear child Liz… Miss Elizabeth was, Mr. Darcy! She overheard me say that I missed my pet cat who had passed on while I was away at school that year. One of Miss Elizabeth's cats had recently given birth to kittens, but until one of them was ready to leave its mother, Miss Elizabeth decided that, in order to cheer me, I should have a temporary pet. She worked diligently to find the right match for me, but I was afraid of snakes as well as frogs!" She smiled widely at Elizabeth and said, "I still have Duchess, you know."

Lord Hamilton's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Duchess? She was a gift from Miss Elizabeth?"

His wife answered, "She was indeed. Miss Elizabeth, I must thank you again for helping me with my Italian while I was visiting. My tutor was most impressed when I returned to school. I do not think I ever would have learned the language if not for you."

Elizabeth blushed and was about to answer, but William replied before she could begin speaking, "I know exactly what a 'dear child' Miss Elizabeth was, Lady Hamilton; I have known her since she was nine-years-old and I was fifteen-years-old. Did she try to catch you a badger for a pet?" He said with a mischievous smile… He had spent years wondering about the badger and was hoping to hear more now.

"Actually, I did make an attempt, but I could not manage it. You, sir, know of my stubborn nature--I had to continue to try. It took me about a year to finally catch one." Elizabeth blushed when she noticed everyone within hearing distance was waiting for more. Looking at William she asked, "Did James not tell you?"

William feigned an insulted air. "James is a trusted Darcy footman, trained in the utmost of discretion…" his featured softened, "and a devoted fan of yours, Miss Elizabeth. He would never have divulged your secret… no matter what Georgiana or I offered or threatened him with! The only hint we ever had of the event was of your own doing." William laughed, attracting the attention of many ladies who had been eager to see his smile again.

Elizabeth matched his dazzling smile with one of her own, but then her features schooled into a very serious expression. "Well… when I did catch one it was a good thing James was nearby trying to puzzle out what I was about. The reason this one had been easier to apprehend was that it was a cub. James was very useful when its mother returned to the burrow." Those who were listening could be discerned by whose eyes had widened at this time--since badgers were known to be vicious when their young were threatened, and there were tales of people seeing them kill animals much larger than themselves, including humans. "I had observed quite a few badger clans and mothers with their young from afar, but never had I witnessed one who was protecting her cub before that day. I do believe James saved my life."

William was obviously stunned, and turned to look at James where he was stationed, on loan to Bingley for the ball. James happened to be looking in that direction and met William's gaze--James's face showed a hint of concern, but William waved his question off. He heard Bingley say, "I would wager that James is about to get a raise in pay!"

Barnes replied, "After Darcy's behavior tonight, I do not think anyone would bet against you, Bingley."

William turned to Elizabeth and said, "When I joined you in the garden before dinner that evening, I wondered what you had been doing while I was preparing for dinner. The state of your clothing…"

"Yes, well, I had gone there to calm down before sneaking into the house to change for dinner."

"Reading Plato in Latin and instantaneously translating it into English aloud calms you?" he teased, trying to lighten both their moods.

Elizabeth raised one eyebrow. "Only when being sketched at the same time." She answered, and then looked away blushing and taking a great interest in her wine glass as she remembered seeing that sketch on the floor of the library a few nights earlier.

Several others at the table noticed William's color change as well, but none could suspect the true reason for it.

The topic of conversation moved on to less serious matters until the supper break was at an end and the dancing was to begin again.

After observing Mr. Darcy's behavior towards Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and knowing that her sister Caroline was beginning to feel quite desperate at the perceived favoritism, Mrs. Hurst had been watching her sister closely all evening. During the interval between dances before the last set of the ball, Mrs. Hurst noticed that Caroline had disappeared from the ballroom. When she saw Caroline return sporting a self-satisfied expression, her sister felt an icy shiver of fear run down her spine. Mrs. Hurst knew that look and approached Caroline without delay. In the event that her interference was necessary to save her family's reputation, she knew she must attempt to learn the reason behind such a dramatic change in her sister's countenance from the sneer she had been wearing all evening to the smirk she now sported.

"Caroline?"

"Louisa! You will never guess what I have arranged!" Caroline took her sister's hand and led her to a corner where she was certain they would not be overheard. "I have had such a clever idea! I will prevent Mr. Darcy from dancing again with that chit while in the same moment I have practically guaranteed that he will close the ball with me! My name will be mentioned in every drawing room in London for weeks to come!"

Mrs. Hurst gave her sister a sympathetic look, thinking that with the news of Mr. Darcy's heart being lost to Miss Elizabeth--which she was certain would be broadcast all over London before the week was out--Caroline's name most likely would be mentioned, but not in a way that her sister would enjoy! The ton would find it very amusing that, after Caroline had made a fool of herself chasing after the gentleman for years, Mr. Darcy's attachment had been made public at a ball at which Caroline had actually been hostess! "If you do not suppose that I can guess what you have done, then I shall not attempt to guess. You had better tell me at once, Caro."

"It is now absolutely impossible for any of these country bumpkins to participate in the final dance of the ball. I have spoken to the musicians--the final dance will be a waltz! I am quite certain that none of the locals in attendance would have learnt it since even something as simple as their taste in clothing is so completely out-of-fashion. Once he sees that Eliza is so backward and countrified, Mr. Darcy will realize that an alliance with Eliza would dishonor his good name, and he will finally understand the terrible error he has made before it is too late. Only those who have frequented London will know how to dance the waltz, and since I am the most eligible lady of fashion here, he will dance the last with me!" Caroline ended her speech with a smirk.

"Oh, Caroline! Half of the most fashionable set in London either have not yet learnt the waltz or think it is too scandalous a dance to participate in! For all you know, Mr. Darcy is one of the latter! Do you not see, sister? It is more likely that if Miss Elizabeth does not know how to dance the waltz, Mr. Darcy will not blame her. He will refrain from dancing altogether and spend that time with her!"

At her sister's words of disapproval, Caroline shot Mrs. Hurst a sharp look. "Why can you not be happy for me, Louisa? Are you jealous?"

"No, Caroline, at the moment my feelings could be considered far from being jealous of you! Up until this night I have supported you in this endeavor, but honestly now I am beginning to pity you! Tonight Mr. Darcy has openly displayed his feelings for Miss Elizabeth before the entire neighborhood and all of the people that we have invited from London. With so much proof before you, how can you continue to delude yourself by believing that you still have even the smallest chance to win Mr. Darcy's affections?

"You must face the facts, sister--you will never be Mistress of Pemberley. You will gain more favor among the ton if you abandon this useless quest and display no scorn whatsoever towards Miss Elizabeth! It would be better to be among those in good standing with the future Mrs. Darcy than to be named among her enemies if you ever wish to be invited to Darcy House or Pemberley again!"

Caroline cast an ice stare upon her sister, "Then you should attempt to stay in my good graces, Louisa, instead of throwing insults my way. Pity, indeed! Before long it will be proven that I will be the next Mrs. Darcy!"

Mrs. Hurst shook her head as she watched Caroline stomp off towards Mr. Darcy who was deep in conversation with Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Yes, a visit to see Mr. Hurst's family seemed more attractive every moment! Perhaps they would depart on the morrow!

When the first dance of the last set of the evening ended and the music for the second dance began, William's heart accelerated even more than it already had from having had the honor of the previous dance with his beloved. He had dreamed of dancing the waltz with Elizabeth so many times over the past three years that he thought he was imagining the music at first, but then when he noticed that many of the dancers were leaving the floor and those who remained paired off, he realized that this was no dream, and he smiled widely. Too affected to speak, he simply stared into Elizabeth's eyes, which were already dancing--with amusement.

"Can you not dance the waltz, Mr. Darcy?"

"Georgiana's dance master insisted she learn it, and I insisted on being her partner when she practiced. I…" William swallowed hard, afraid that even suggesting they waltz might offend her.

"Sir? Do you fear that Mrs. Bennet of Longbourn, who, as you well know, has spent almost every waking moment of every day since her fifth daughter was born teaching her daughters how to catch a husband, would not have had them learn the latest fashions in dancing?" Elizabeth took a step closer to him, her eyes twinkling with a teasing light and something deeper--was it longing?

"I have often hoped you would favor me with a waltz someday, my love," William almost whispered.

"And I have often wondered what it would be like to dance the waltz with someone other than my sisters!" she laughed, hoping the statement served to convey to him that she had never danced a waltz with any man.

Elizabeth waited patiently for several moments as William continued to gaze at her lovingly. "Since you felt it was my task to propose, must I ask you to dance as well, William?"

He smiled and then replied without hesitation, "I accept!"

William took Elizabeth into his arms, leaving the proper distance between them. The very air between their bodies seemed to be tingling with life--both were very conscious of the points where their bodies met and of a pulling sensation emanating from the other. His eyes never leaving hers, William's arm twitched with the need to draw Elizabeth closer to him.

Without either being aware of it, the couple slowly drifted closer to each other as they twirled about the dance floor. When the music came to an end, they stopped dancing but continued standing in the same position, so close that their bodies were almost touching. William almost moved the additional few inches that would have been necessary to pull her against his frame, but the sound of the crowd applauding the musicians' efforts brought him back to the present.

In his dreams, the waltz with Elizabeth had never ended on the dance floor--the couple always quickly reconvened in his bed chamber! Even if William had not blushed at the direction his thoughts had turned, the smoldering look in his eyes would have given him away. Elizabeth could do nothing but return the gaze at the same level of intensity, causing his heart to skip a beat and a pleasant shiver to run through him.

He closed his eyes for a moment or two to break this intoxicating exchange, and then took a step backward, away from his enchantress.

"One day soon, I will count on the gentleman's complete retreat, my love. I would like to meet the man." Elizabeth gifted him with a look that he hoped to see again on their wedding night.

William sharply caught his breath. "I look forward to his introduction, Elizabeth!" he answered while placing her hand in the crook of his arm and covering it possessively with his own.

He had to look away from her! If she continued to look at him in that beguiling manner, he would not be able to prevent himself from whisking her away to his chamber after all. Mr. Bennet would have to break down his bedchamber door to retrieve his daughter this night!

As William looked about the room for something to cool this almost overwhelming desire for Elizabeth, his eyes met with the perfect sight--Caroline Bingley. William could not help but notice that she seemed to be in a complete rage; the crimson coloring of her skin had heightened to the point where its tone clashed quite horribly with her gown of bright orange. He saw that Mr. and Mrs. Hurst were attempting to physically remove her from the ballroom.

William wondered what could have happened to arouse her to such a state, but since he saw Bingley was still accompanying Miss Bennet, William was certain that he would be summoned if needed. As it was, he felt it could wait until he could inquire from Bingley after the guests had departed. He refused to miss one moment he could spend with Elizabeth this night!

After the waltz, those gathered began to call for their carriages to leave the ball. William held Elizabeth back for a moment to avoid the crush of the crowd. When she was sure nobody was within hearing distance, she looked up into his eyes and said low enough for only William to hear, "Your father was correct."

"He often was… but do you refer to something in particular?"

"I have been thinking… my stubbornness is not always a gift."

William chucked, "And what makes you change your mind about that subject just now?"

She was thoughtful for a minute or two before asking, "Had I not been so afraid to show my feelings to you when you first came into Hertfordshire, would you have behaved more like this rather than the way that you did?"

His smile faded, but due to the implications of her statement--that she had loved him all along--the light did not fade from his eyes. He took her hand and led her outside to a terrace where they could have a few words in privacy. "Not exactly. I needed to learn a few lessons first… which I might not have learned if you had been more transparent. I am still of the opinion that a stubborn streak is a gift. Look at where I am right now, Elizabeth. I have spent the evening at a ball, in a house full of people, and I was not afraid to let every single person in attendance know my feelings for you.

"As I have told you, somehow your presence--even at our first meeting--has always prevented me from needing it, but all my life I have hidden behind a stone façade when in public. When I came to Hertfordshire, the fear that I had lost your good opinion forever had only made it more unyielding, but over the past few days I put my own stubborn will into motion after deciding that the only way I could ever expect to reverse the widely held poor opinion of me was to rid myself of what Bingley and Richard refer to as my 'mask' once and for all.

"However grateful I am for your most recent behavior," he smiled, "it was not the reason for the change in mine… though it was the goal. I wish only to make you happy, my Elizabeth, and improving the opinion of me held by the people that you love will help to do that, I am certain.

"Perhaps if you had smiled instead of glared at me at all this while, I would not have learned that I should never be ashamed to be myself. You tried to teach me this lesson years ago by setting an example, and your father also tried by pointing out that I found this quality admirable in you, but it took me all this time to actually learn it, and only at the risk of losing the only thing that mattered to me.

"The only thing that truly matters to me is your caring for me, Elizabeth. If I lost all else, I would survive, but I have long known that I could not go on without you. I have lived these last few years with the hope of being with you someday, and that hope was the only thing that gave me the motivation to get up every morning and do what needed to be done--so I that could be the man you wanted and needed, and could be proud of, and so that I would be able to provide for you the best that I could.

"My feelings for you have never changed, not in all the time we were apart nor since I have been staying at Netherfield, no matter what I seemed overtly to have been feeling. In fact, they are stronger than ever. Every time I think I could not possibly love you more, you do something to bring about just that.

"I was able to make an appointment with your father for tomorrow afternoon, and I will ask for his consent. I am certain we will speak of all that has occurred to keep me away for so long. I would very much like for you to be present at our meeting."

Elizabeth was looking at him with such love shining from her eyes that he could not help but to wish for a more intimate setting. As William's hand reached out to caress her cheek, the sound of the door to the terrace opening startled him back to reality, and he pulled it back. Mr. Bennet stepped out and sent a warning glance to William while saying, "Lizzy, it is time to go home."

William watched as she took her father's arm and walked away from him. At the doorway, she paused and looked back over her shoulder at him, a smile gracing her beautiful face. "Soon I will be the man who carries her home--to our home."

Posted on: 2011-04-28

Chapter 19

The following day… somewhere along the coast of England

"It is all so strange!" Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam thought as he prepared his mount to ride to London. There was a mystery afoot, and now that his latest mission was completed, he was eager to solve it.

Richard's cousin William Darcy had written to him several times since he had joined his friend Bingley at an estate in Hertfordshire, begging Richard's advice on what to do about his sister Georgiana and keeping him abreast of the situation with Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Since William's arrival in Hertfordshire, he had not heard from Georgiana at all, and William assumed that the reason his sister had not written was that she must be angry at him for remaining in the neighborhood in which Miss Bennet lived.

Richard had originally thought that it would be very odd indeed if William's reasoning had been true. Though William had no knowledge of it, a few months ago when William and Richard had seen Miss Bennet in London, Georgiana was only too happy to provide Richard with the information necessary to locate Miss Bennet.

Richard had heard from Georgiana several times during that time period as well, and she had not said a word about her brother's news beyond informing him that William had gone to Hertfordshire. She had mentioned that she was hopeful that William would seek out Miss Bennet while he resided in the same county!

So then, why in the deuce had Georgiana not been writing to William?

The nature of Richard's assignment had kept him from being able to write letters to his cousins, but he could always find time to read theirs. The only letter he had managed to write, with great difficulty, had been a short, extremely sloppy note to William stating that Richard had heard from Georgiana several times and that she was well.

Fortunately, Richard was waiting for some urgent papers that he would deliver to his general in London, and he had not yet left for London when a letter from a panicked Georgiana arrived. In the letter Georgiana declared that she had not heard a word from William since he had left Pemberley for his friend's estate! She had attempted to remain calm about the situation, but could no longer do so, and was writing to Richard to inquire as to what she should do next.

Richard answered Georgiana's letter immediately, sending his response by express. His letter stated that he had heard from William several times while he had been staying at Netherfield Park, and that William's letters were full of concern for Georgiana because he had not heard from her! Richard also told Georgiana that because he was now between assignments, he had some leave time available, and he would make haste to Hertfordshire to discover the problem with the post service after a short stop in London to see his parents. Unless she heard differently from him, she should not worry--William was well.

After sending the express, the urgent military correspondence arrived and Richard departed for London. Richard arrived at the home of his parents when both were out, so he bathed and then headed for his father's study. While in the army, he had learned to take advantage of any opportunity to rest since one never knew when the next chance to do so would come about, and so he lay down for a nap on his favorite comfortable sofa while he waited for his father to return. Being a light sleeper he thought he would wake up when his father entered the room. The sofa was turned away from his father's desk, facing the fire.

Soon after Richard had fallen asleep, the Earl of Matlock entered his study so quietly that Richard did not hear him, but he did, however, hear the knock of the footman several minutes later.

Exhausted, Richard did not react right away; instead, he continued to lie on the sofa. He had to smile as he remembered the times in his childhood when he, his brother and his sister used to hide on the overstuffed sofa and spy on their father as he worked. He doubted his father had ever discovered their trick as the boys had never been on the receiving end of the strap because of it. Richard held back a chuckle.

The footman entered and told the earl, "Milord, I received a letter from Mr. Booth, the post worker in Lambton. Your nephew Mr. Darcy is sending letters from Hertfordshire, and since his instructions have always been to stop all letters between Hertfordshire and Pemberley, he wishes to know whether he should let Mr. and Miss Darcy's letters through or not. He has not burned them as he has all the others."

The earl answered, "What is Fitzwilliam doing in Hertfordshire?" He hesitated for a few moments while deciding what the next course of action should be, and then said, "Inform him that he should forward by express to you all of Fitzwilliam's and Georgiana's letters to each other, but continue to burn any letters between them and the Bennets! When their letters arrive, bring them to me immediately. I must discern exactly why Fitzwilliam is there, and who he is spending his time with. If he has seen the Bennets, all of my plans may be ruined!"

Richard became livid while listening to this exchange, his exhaustion forgotten. When the footman left the room, Richard stood from the sofa and boomed in his best commanding-officer voice, "Father! How could you? Good G-d! If I had not heard it with my own ears, I would never have believed you capable of such a thing! Do you have any notion or understanding of the pain you have caused with this scheme? Do you have no remorse for the suffering you have brought, not only to the Bennets, but to your own flesh and blood, William and Georgiana--and to anyone who cares about them, including me?"

The earl, startled at first at his younger son's presence, became almost frightened by Richard's tone of voice. He had never seen his son in all his military glory! Having learned throughout the years that the best defense is a good offense, the earl attempted to take control of the situation by speaking forcefully. "How dare you to speak to me in that manner and tone of voice? You will speak to me with the respect owed to me as both your father and as the Earl of Matlock!"

"Respect?! How dare you speak of respect! Respect is earned, not owed, and after this any shred of respect for you that had been remaining is gone forever."

"You condemn me for protecting my family from the Bennets--a pair of mercenary, social climbing nobodies with no fortune and no connections? Thomas Bennet always had his eye on gaining control of Pemberley, and George Darcy had always trusted him. Can you imagine that George snubbed my friendship while welcoming Bennet's? He would have simply handed the estate over to Bennet when he died if not for the actions of Catherine and me. I was kept up to date during the whole of their visit by a servant at Pemberley--you know not what went on there! Bennet's machinations included using his harlot of a daughter's arts and allurements to trap William! The nerve of that girl and her father for thinking she could ever become mistress of Pemberley!

"Catherine and I conferred and agreed that the best solution was to keep the Bennets from contacting William and Georgiana--having it appear that they had been abandoned by the mercenary leeches. For the past three years, the Darcys have been released from the Bennets' unexplained hold on them! I am certain this has brought William closer to the realization that he should rely only on family. Eventually he will learn to appreciate his duty and, for the good of the entire family, he will marry his cousin Anne!"

Richard's rage only grew with every word his father uttered. "You will not speak of the Bennets in such a way! The Darcys trusted and cared for the Bennets, and I will not allow you to insult them any further in my presence. I happened to have met Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and I know she does not resemble in the slightest way the woman you have painted her as today. The Darcys are intelligent people and have a much better sense than you of the characteristics that are truly worthy in others.

"It astonishes me that you have resorted to blackmail and trickery in an attempt to gain favor with William and Georgiana. Did you really think that by taking the Bennets out of their lives that William and Georgiana would suddenly trust you? They have good reason not to trust you, sir!

"I have never been more ashamed of anything in my life than I am at this moment… ashamed to be your son! Good bye, sir; I do not know when--or if--I will see you again." Richard left the house without heeding his father's shouted demands to return.

Richard rode directly to Darcy House to speak to the housekeeper and gain knowledge of the directions to Netherfield. After the housekeeper had instructed the kitchen workers to pack saddlebags for him, he asked to see her in Darcy's library. "Mrs. Martin, I am acting as Miss Darcy's guardian in this matter. I know very well how valued you are by the Darcys and how much affection you hold for them personally. I implore you not to give any information on your master's whereabouts to anyone else at this time, especially not my father nor our Aunt de Bourgh. They are not to be trusted!"

Mrs. Martin allowed a shocked look to pass across her face before schooling her features. She had known Richard Fitzwilliam for most of his life and knew what kind of man he was, and had always found that she could trust his word over that of his father any day. "Yes, Colonel Fitzwilliam. I understand completely, sir."

"I am sending an express to Mrs. Reynolds. I will need you to address it and be sure that it leaves here immediately. You are also to remain vigilant--especially when Miss Darcy returns to town. Under no circumstances, whatsoever, are my father or Lady Catherine de Bourgh to be allowed entrance to this house, or indeed any of the Darcy properties. The results if they get close to Miss Darcy would be disastrous. In the absence of Mr. Darcy to give these instructions, I take the liberty of doing so on his behalf--you must be scrupulous until you hear directly from Mr. Darcy or myself.

"As soon as I can be ready I will be travelling to Netherfield to speak to Mr. Darcy and then straight on to Pemberley. I trust that you understand my instructions completely."

As soon as Richard rode into Netherfield's stables, he dismounted, ordered his horse to be fed and watered, and asked that the Darcy carriage be readied to leave as soon as possible. When he encountered Bingley's butler, he asked that he not be announced to the family, but only to Mr. Darcy. Mr. Robinson, being a soldier himself in the past, and acquainted with Colonel Fitzwilliam, knew that the man would not be visibly upset without good reason. Mr. Robinson asked the Colonel to follow him, and led him to the library where Mr. Darcy was alone.

William looked up when the door opened, and his eyes widened in astonishment. He launched himself out of his seat at seeing Richard's agitated countenance, assuming something was wrong with Georgiana. As soon as the door closed, Richard said, "I can see what you are thinking. Do not worry; Georgiana is fine... for the moment anyway. We must away to the Bennet's estate immediately! I must speak to you, Mr. Bennet, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet all together directly and for as short a duration as possible!

"I know that the Bennets are of the opinion that you abandoned them and that you think Mr. Bennet abandoned you… but none of it is so! It was intended to seem that way by design, Darcy!

"I wish that Georgiana were here to hear this as well, but we certainly cannot write to her about it. I plan to leave here and ride for Pemberley as soon as we are finished with our conference, William. You will need to stay here and clean up the mess on this end!"

"Richard, what do you mean by saying that Georgiana is well for the moment? You cannot say that and expect not to explain further!"

"I know your curiosity is piqued, but please be patient, Cousin… Georgiana is safe for now, and I do not wish to tell this tale more times than is absolutely necessary; it is far too humiliating! Come, I have ordered your carriage; I will tell all of you together."

William nodded and followed Richard from the room and out the door to the waiting carriage, hesitating for just a moment at the door to tell the butler where they were headed.

After the gentlemen entered the carriage, William asked, "Do you have word about when Wickham will be transferred?"

"It is certain he will be transferred, but these things take time. I hope it will be within the next few days." Richard raised his eyebrows and asked, "Have there been any improvements in your situation since your last letter?"

A slow smile spread across William's features and shone from his eyes… a smile brighter than any Richard had ever seen grace his cousin's face. "The situation is greatly improved indeed, Richard! Elizabeth and I have come to an understanding! Though I have not had a chance to speak to Mr. Bennet as of yet, I have an appointment scheduled with him for this afternoon. I was just about to order the carriage when you came in."

Richard could not help but smile as a sense of relief filled him, and he wished Georgiana could be here to see her brother's joy at this moment.

Elizabeth was reading in her father's study, when Mrs. Hill announced that two gentlemen would like to see Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bennet glanced at his daughter, then back to Mrs. Hill, "And just who are these gentlemen?"

"Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, sir."

Elizabeth seemed surprised that Colonel Fitzwilliam had accompanied William to this meeting. "Show them in, Hill," said Mr. Bennet.

Elizabeth stood, smoothing the wrinkles from her skirts to hide her nervousness at meeting a member of William's extended family, and after William made the introductions, she finally looked up. When she saw Richard, she arched her eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ah! I forgot about this part!" Richard said while taking a step away from William.

"You forgot about greetings and introductions?" William asked.

"No, Mr. Darcy, he means he forgot about being caught out, did you not Colonel Richards?" Elizabeth said, with more curiosity in her voice than anger.

Richard took another step away from his cousin and blushed. "Well… hmmm… yes. That misunderstanding was not entirely my fault, Miss Bennet. I hesitated in the middle of introducing myself, and your aunt took my first name as my last."

"And it would have been so very difficult to correct her, would it not?"

"Yes, well… but you would have recognized 'Fitzwilliam.' That would have been…"

Elizabeth interrupted, "Perhaps the word you are searching for is 'honest,' sir?"

William, fuming by this time, took a step closer to Richard.

Refusing to look at William, Richard replied, "Er… counterproductive!" Richard moved a step further away from William once again.

Mr. Bennet was losing all patience by this time. "What is going on here?"

"Well, Papa, last year I came across Colonel Fitzwilliam in the park across from Aunt and Uncle Gardiner's house in London."

"And a good thing that was, too. I seem to remember that you were in the process of fainting at the time, Miss Bennet."

Elizabeth blushed. She glanced at William for the first time, and, noting that his expression was a mixture of anger and confusion, she hoped those feelings were directed at his cousin rather than at her. "Yes, that is true. Colonel Fitzwilliam did render me a service that day and escorted me home; he then introduced himself to Aunt Gardiner. But just what were you doing there, sir?"

"Well, to be honest, Miss Bennet, I wanted to meet you… a lady that I had heard much about."

"And just how did you find out where I was staying, Colonel?"

"Georgiana knew your uncle's name and the name of his shop. The rest was… well, I am very good at interrogation. Most people do not even realize that I have obtained the information for which I was seeking."

"Georgiana was a party to this scheme?" William spoke, confusion coloring his voice.

"Yes," Richard said as silence descended over the room for a few moments.

"Since you had 'forgotten about this part,' Richard, then I assume you had another reason for insisting that you come along with me to visit Longbourn today?" William asked.

At first relieved to change the subject, Richard now realized the next piece of information would be even more of a shock to everyone in the room. "Yes! I think you should all sit down since this part is a bit more involved. I came from London after a very short visit at my father's house, where I accidentally overheard a conversation and then gleaned information that you all need to know."

"And just who is your father, Colonel?" Mr. Bennet asked.

"My father is Lord Robert Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Matlock."

Mr. Bennet's look darkened, and he sat up straighter. "Go on."

Richard stood with both hands behind his back pacing the length of the room, speaking as if he were giving a military report. "One of my father's servants has been blackmailing a postal employee, but in truth the earl and his sister Lady Catherine de Bourgh are responsible. The postal employee's task was to confiscate and destroy all correspondence between anyone by the name of Bennet and Darcy, and between any location in Hertfordshire and the estate of Pemberley. For approximately two and one half years, all correspondence that any of the people in this room, as well as my cousin Georgiana, have sent to any of the others was not received by the intended addressee. I do not know for certain but can guess that similar steps were taken for Darcy House in London."

Everyone in the room was stunned for several minutes as the meaning of what had been revealed took shape. Elizabeth whispered, "What does the earl say were his reasons for this interference?"

"I refuse to insult any of the good people present by repeating his ridiculous excuses. Suffice it to say that they did not succeed in their ultimate goals of gaining control over Pemberley and having Darcy marry our cousin Anne de Bourgh. I am thoroughly ashamed of my father's actions, and those of our aunt as well. I will have to apologize for them, for they will never recognize the wrongs they have committed nor apologize themselves. I have left my father's house." He hesitated a few moments before continuing, "It seems that your letters, William, from Hertfordshire to Georgiana at Pemberley, and her letters to you, had confused the postal employee. When he saw your name on letters coming from Hertfordshire and letters from Georgiana going to you in Hertfordshire, he held them all and wrote to his contact--the earl's footman--to request further instructions. I originally overheard the footman informing my father of this development. I then confronted my father."

Elizabeth gasped, "Do you mean to say that Mr. Darcy has been here for weeks and Georgiana does not even know that he arrived here safely? She must be panicked!"

William, dazed by all the implications of what had been revealed, had jumped from his seat and began pacing upon Elizabeth's exclamation.

"Yes, it would seem so, Miss Bennet. I received a letter from Georgiana just this morning in which she voiced her concerns for her brother. Since I had received letters from William, I sent a letter by express from my location this morning after completing my mission, minutes before I was about to leave for London. It was pure luck that I stopped at Matlock House in time for that conversation, eh? We might never have known…"

"I should--" William began.

Richard interrupted with, "I will go to Pemberley, cousin. There is much that needs to be sorted out here. Since I have the name of the postal worker, I will take care of him as well. William, it seems there was a servant who had informed the earl of certain…" he glanced at Elizabeth, "developments in the weeks leading up to your father's death, which led them to these despicable actions. As far as I know, the flow of information stopped at about the same time that your father died, which makes me think that either it was one of the staff members who also died in the carriage accident or it was a servant who was let go about the same time."

Mr. Bennet finally found his voice. "Carriage accident? But I thought his condition…"

William swallowed hard. "No, his condition never had a chance to take hold, sir. The accident was the same day that you left Pemberley. Mr. Wickham and a stable boy died that same day. My father died from his injuries the following day, Mr. Bennet."

"Wickham, too?" Mr. Bennet's face drained of all color.

William nodded.

"I am sorry, but I must interrupt. I need to know if anyone has any further questions for me. The reason I am going in my cousin's stead is so that you all can discuss these matters while I am on my way to Georgiana."

Richard looked at each one of them in turn, and they all shook their heads to indicate they had no further questions for him. He saw that Elizabeth's eyes were filled to the rim with tears, and he walked over to her, bowed deeply over her hand, and whispered, "My uncle wrote to me saying that you would make a wonderful mistress of Pemberley, Miss Bennet."

"Safe journey, Colonel Richards," she said softly, the corners of her lips slightly upturned.

"Ah, good. She forgives me."

Turning to the gentlemen, Richard again bowed, saying, "I will send a messenger directly from Pemberley's staff to bring you news of my arrival. I suggest you wait for him to arrive and send any return letters back with him. Do not send anything to Pemberley through the post until all this is straightened out. Good day to you all."

As the door closed behind Richard, William took a step closer to Elizabeth and handed her his handkerchief, which she took with a trembling hand. She was unable to meet his eyes just yet.

Mr. Bennet voice was rough when he said, "George never had a chance to show you anything. Wickham was gone, and I was unreachable. I know how that is, on quite a lesser scale--my elder brother died, and I inherited Longbourn, a much smaller estate, without being prepared. As difficult as it was for me, I had an experienced steward to assist me. Whatever did you do?"

William pried his eyes from Elizabeth and looked at Mr. Bennet. "I did what I had to do, sir; I learned by trial and error… mostly errors at first. My father had told me that no matter what happened, I should not take advice from my uncle, and so I did not, but the earl descended on Pemberley the day my father died and Lady Catherine arrived two days later. It was not easy, sir; they stayed for months, ordering the staff around and attempting to disrupt the routines at Pemberley. My uncle even rode out to the tenants and changed my father's orders; I did not discover that until later. While under my own roof, Lady Catherine spent every available moment trying to convince me to allow her to have Georgiana return with her to Rosings Park so she could rear her there, terrifying my sister into believing she would be taken from her home. What I did not know until months later was that she also had a lawyer in London attempting to legally change Georgiana's guardianship to include her daughter, Anne de Bourgh, so that they would have the right to take her from me if I did not marry Anne. When I could not stand any more, my staff physically removed both my aunt and uncle from the property, and they were told in no uncertain terms not to allow them to return.

"My solicitor assisted me in finding both a steward and a secretary, and the three of us eventually muddled through it all. I was just beginning to feel comfortable leaving Pemberley for a short time when…" he stopped, trying to decide whether to speak about the fire and his injuries, but he realized he had gone too far to conceal it. "There was a fire at Pemberley in mid-May of the following year. The servant's quarters and guest wing were destroyed, and both have since been rebuilt. I could not leave." He paused again, looking down at the floor, trying to swallow past the tightness in his throat so he could continue.

Mr. Bennet asked, "Was anyone lost?"

William's voice was just above a whisper as he said, "No, sir. There were several minor injuries that have since healed. There was one person with a significant injury…" hesitating, he looked to Elizabeth for strength and he continued, "…it has taken all this time to recover the use of my arm and hand." Seeing Mr. Bennet start and wishing to change the subject before he asked any more questions about his injuries, William said more forcefully, "I have to admit that when we received no answers to our letters to Longbourn, I had some very uncharitable thoughts about you, Mr. Bennet. I should have known better.

"After a few weeks without your arrival at Pemberley as promised, I had an investigator come here to Longbourn to make certain that you had arrived home safely at least. Knowing the damage to some of the roads and bridges from the rains and that you had left the same day as my father's accident… when we received no letter stating that you had arrived at home, Georgiana and I were more than a little concerned that a fate similar to my father's had befallen you both." He visibly shuddered and then said, "But I told him not to contact you. If you both were safe then the only logical conclusion I could come to was that you must have been angry at me because of…" he glanced at Elizabeth, and then back to Mr. Bennet and continued, "Well, I thought you wanted nothing further to do with me, Mr. Bennet. I became quite bitter and resentful toward you… blaming you for not honoring any of your promises. I apologize for thinking such things. If I had only sent a letter with the investigator…"

Mr. Bennet interrupted, "I do not blame you in the least, William. I must say that I was not holding you or your father in very high esteem after our letters went unanswered. In hindsight, it seems that I should have traveled the distance to Pemberley to see for myself whether all was well, but at the time that did not seem to be a wise course of action. The letter I had written to your father when we arrived home… well, I took the lack of an answer as if it were your father's answer to a very important question, and I assumed that he wished to cut off all contact between our families. I felt insulted personally and assumed that my daughter had been misused and discarded. If that had been the case, it would have explained the reason for Elizabeth's letters to Georgiana going unanswered as well. But, I am still confused about one point. You say you wrote upon your father's death?"

"Yes, sir. Actually, I wrote while Father was still alive…he asked me to pass on messages to you both. He knew he would not survive long."

"But then, why did we not receive that letter if your uncle did not arrive until two days later?"

Elizabeth's face lit up and she exclaimed, "The fire at the postal sorting station! Remember, Papa? We heard of poor Mr. Jaresberry's death just after we arrived home and that many of the letters that were at the sorting station were lost. We sent another set of letters just in case ours were among them, but the news would not have reached Derbyshire. If the letter from Pemberley had been lost…" Elizabeth's throat tightened with emotion, and she knew that she could not discuss any more of this without breaking down into sobs. She got up and rushed from the room and from the house. William left his seat and moved toward the door, but stopped and looked at Mr. Bennet, desperately seeking permission to go after her.

"Just a moment, William. The letter I had sent to your father upon our return to Longbourn included my consent to an immediate engagement. I had recognized my error in insisting that you wait." He pointed out the window and said, "There she goes… go after her. If you still wish to gain it, you have my consent."

"Did Elizabeth know what was in the letter, sir?"

"Lizzy did not know at first. After months of increasing melancholy which she failed to hide for long from those who love her best, I told her. When you did not come to see her on her birthday, Lizzy's state of mind became much worse, and I thought perhaps it would be helpful if I told her in no uncertain terms that she had been rejected. It did not help, not in the least--another of my mistakes. The only event that breathed a spark of life back into her was your entry in the neighborhood," Mr. Bennet smiled a little, "and Lizzy became quite ornery!"

"Mr. Bennet, even after everything that had happened between us, the hope that somehow some day Elizabeth would become my wife was the only thing that got me through all that has occurred. I have never stopped loving her, sir." William said.

"Then go, son! Do not waste any more of your time with me. I suggest that you head toward Oakham Mount since that is most likely Lizzy's destination."

William rushed out the door of the study, leaving the door open in his haste. Mr. Bennet crossed the room to close it and saw Jane and William collide in the hall. "Excuse me, Miss Bennet," William said while executing a sloppy bow; then he turned and hurried out the front door, leaving that open as well.

Jane had a concerned look on her face when she moved to close it and noticed her father in the hall. Approaching him she asked, "Father, whatever is the matter with Mr. Darcy?" But Mr. Bennet only waved Jane into the study. He pulled her to the window, and Jane inhaled sharply, surprised to see William running in the direction that Elizabeth had gone.

"My dear Jane, mark my words, Lizzy finally will be publicly engaged before the day is out."

"Papa! Mr. Darcy has explained? You would consent?"

Mr. Bennet chuckled. "Jane, you were the only one who was correct in your estimation of the situation. No matter what Lizzy or I said, you had always believed it to be a terrible misunderstanding--and though the circumstances were initiated and maintained by those who were set against us all, it truly was only a terrible misunderstanding between the Bennet and the Darcy families! After all has been explained, there is no ill will left between us… only the guilt of having entertained thoughts that such deplorable behavior had been possible coming from the other."

William stopped to catch his breath, frantically trying to detect some indication of which way Elizabeth had gone. Through some trees he saw a flash of color and hurried off in that direction. Moving through a gap between some bushes, he saw her sitting on a fallen log, her face buried in her hands. He said a silent prayer of thanks--the log was so well hidden from the public path that if he had not seen her walking toward it, he never would have found her there. It was a chilly autumn afternoon, and in her haste, Elizabeth had not thought to take a wrap, so he took off his own coat and placed it around her shoulders.

Elizabeth must not have heard his approach for she seemed startled momentarily, but he saw her take a deep breath as she moved her hands from her face to the lapels of the coat, pulling it closer around her and burying her face in the cloth. She breathed deeply, as if taking in his scent, which made his heart skip a beat. Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked intensely into his.

"Elizabeth…" he said, still breathing heavily from his run… or was it something else now? "What is it? I…" he hesitated when she moved to stand and then began to pace in front of him.

"Your family disapproves of me so much that they would stoop to blackmail and deception to keep us apart. They will surely break with you if you marry me. How can I do this to you, William? If I am that much of an embarrassment, with what will you have to contend from the remainder of society?"

Panicked, William answered, "Elizabeth, do not let their despicable actions sway you! Only out of respect for my mother's memory have I ever had anything to do with her family. Even she did not enjoy spending time with them, and my father certainly did not. They did not approve even of him at first; though he was of the first circle, he had no title, and he was not the man they had chosen for my mother to marry.

"My uncle, who was already the head of the family at that time, had agreed to the marriage only after my mother told him she would elope to Scotland with my father if he would not consent, and the Fitzwilliams could not risk a scandal after the whispers of my Aunt Catherine's son, Anne's older brother who had died a few years after he was born. It was said that he was not Sir Lewis de Bough's child. There was also some rather disgusting gossip about my Uncle Robert circulating, which I refuse to repeat to a lady.

"Their reason for not approving of you is because you are not Anne de Bourgh, who they had always intended for me to marry. Anne and I agreed years ago, long before I ever thought of marrying you, that we would not marry each other--but no matter how many times Anne and I have told Aunt Catherine and Uncle Robert, they would not give the plan up. You heard what I said in your father's study relating to what they were trying to do to Georgiana after my father died? They are so arrogant that they thought they could just order Anne to take Georgiana from me if they were successful. Even though Anne would not have followed their wishes, I still could not allow them to take Georgiana's guardianship from me, and so I hired the best lawyers to have the suit dismissed.

"Does that sound like a family that I will regret breaking with, Elizabeth, especially after hearing what they have done to us? Even if you refuse to marry me--and I beg that you do not refuse--I would no longer consider myself part of their family for what they have done.

"As for the rest of society--Elizabeth! I have told you how much I despise them! The good people whom I respect will welcome you; the others--I could not care less about their opinions of us. Georgiana feels the same… we were raised to be true to our own morals and instincts and not to follow the ton blindly. If I spent the rest of my life avoiding most of the society of the first circle, I would consider myself lucky! As for Georgiana, I do not wish her to marry anyone who would snub her because I had married a woman as magnificent as you are, and I know she felt the same way the last time we spoke of it."

His tone of voice turned desperate as he said, "Elizabeth, my love… do not allow these people to take you from me yet again. I honestly do not believe I could survive it!"

She stepped into his arms and whispered, "I do not believe I could either, William. I love you too much."

After a few minutes of reveling in the feel of his beloved in his arms, William said, "Your father has consented to our marriage, and I do not think he will force us wait any longer than it takes for the banns to be read."

Elizabeth pulled back far enough to look into his eyes and smiled so brightly he thought his heart would burst. "Papa has consented? Truly?"

"He did… as I left the room to follow you." His smile widened. "I did not even ask for his consent! Then again, I did not ask for it when he refused his consent at Pemberley, either."

"I do not understand."

"At Pemberley, after witnessing my proposal during the fever weeks earlier, he had guessed that you had finally accepted me by our behavior at dinner that night. I never had an opportunity to request his consent; he refused it immediately upon my entering the study after we separated. Just now, after you ran out of the room, he told me that the first letter he wrote to my father upon your return to Longbourn had contained his consent… and that if we both continued to wish for it, we had it."

Her eyes widened and she joyfully exclaimed, "Ohhh!"

His breathing quickened again as he watched her with intense fascination--Elizabeth reached down the neckline of her dress with one hand while the other was fidgeting with her dress on the outside. She was doing… something. A little part of him knew as a gentleman he should turn his back, but after all he was also a man, and she had not requested that he do so. What it could be that she was working at so diligently he had not a clue, but William was quite enthralled. After a minute or so, she pulled his mother's ring out of the neckline of her gown and smiled brilliantly. "Undoing the button is a bit difficult while I am actually wearing the corset! Now I can finally wear it on my finger! I would very much like to make our betrothal publicly known at last!"

William took the ring from her and placed it on her finger, kissing it once it was in place.

"We should return to Longbourn. Your father and Miss Bennet will be wondering what happened."

Elizabeth agreed, and they walked in silence for a while.

Elizabeth asked if he would send for Georgiana and Colonel Richards so they could attend the wedding. "OH! I had every intention on doing so but I had not thought it through… how can I? I cannot be certain the post from Hertfordshire will be received at Pemberley."

Elizabeth thought for a moment and then said, "Perhaps you can send a letter enclosed within one addressed to your housekeeper in London, and then she can forward it on to Pemberley as if it were from that address?"

"Yes… I will send it express to Darcy House, and then ask Mrs. Martin to send it express to Georgiana. Thank you, my love; that is a wonderful idea. Would you like to enclose a letter of your own?"

"To Mrs. Martin? Certainly, though I am not sure what I should say to her." He looked to her with a confused air, which changed the moment he recognized the teasing light in her eyes, and she laughed, "But, I can think of a thousand things to say to Georgiana if you would allow."

"I most certainly would allow it… both in fact!" he chuckled, "After what Richard said, it seems that Georgiana was only avoiding speaking of you in hopes that it would ease my mind. Little did she realize that you were never far from my thoughts! I do hope she and Richard will receive our letters and join us here."

"As do I, William. I have missed her terribly, though not as much as I had missed her brother." She hugged his arm to her, and they shared a tender kiss.

They were approaching Longbourn when Elizabeth broke their comfortable silence by saying, "Are you prepared for what you will most likely experience upon entering my mother's presence, especially after the announcement is made?"

"Though I would rather not, I am quite willing to suffer through any amount of attention… as long as it is in regards to the subject of our engagement, Elizabeth."

"That is very good--for I am afraid you shall suffer, willing or not!" she said as they entered the house, both smiling.