Elizabeth Bennett stood beside the fireplace starring into the flames, seeing nothing else. She stood there feeling nothing besides the uncomfortable heat emanating from the fire. She refused to think about what she had just done and what she had just given up, so instead she devoted every part of her being to focusing on the fire. Fire, what a marvelous thing, so much warmth and light, little of either seemed to be left in Elizabeth's life.
Elizabeth was in love with a man she should not love. How cruel a thing love can be.
"Why can't you choose whom you fall in love with?" Elizabeth wondered aloud, silent tears streaming down her pale cheeks, "Why can't I be as irrevocably in love with someone else? Someone I'm aloud to love…"
Elizabeth was not sure how long she stood there starring into the fire, uncontrollably crying with no foreseeable end in sight. But when she finally turned from the fire, face red, eyes swollen, she realized was not alone. There standing in the doorway was Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth's face quickly turned from sorrow to shock, while Mr. Darcy's face remained impassive, frozen in an emotionless mask.
Unsure of what to do Elizabeth just stood there, mouth hanging slightly ajar in surprise. For an immeasurable moment they both stood there across the room from each other starring into each other's eyes. It was there that Elizabeth saw the sadness and pain his face betrayed. It was yet another shock for her to see the controlled Mr. Darcy she knew, and loved, evidently in so much pain. Elizabeth wanted to say something, but she did not know what to say. She knew she was the reason for the pain in his eyes.
Finally, Mr. Darcy broke the silence, "Why?" he asked, "How could you do this to me? And in a letter, telling me never to come here again, telling me I could never to see you again…" His voice broke, the emotion and passion he felt for her flooding into every word he spoke.
"I'm sorry" was all Elizabeth could manage to say in barely more than a whisper. She quickly dropped her eyes to the floor.
Mr. Darcy crossed the room to stand in front of Elizabeth; she did not raise her eyes. Ever so delicately he turned her face up to look into his, "One word from you will silence me forever," he said, "tell me you do not love me and I will leave."
How could she tell such a lie to his face, she was in love with him, why was he making this so hard for her?
She cast her eyes away from him once again, "I am to be married Mr. Darcy, in a fortnight, Mr. Collins and I will be husband and wife, it has been decided, there is nothing anyone can do."
"Look at me," he pleaded, her eyes unwillingly returned to his, "is that what you really want, to be married to Mr. Collins? Can he make you happy?"
Breaking his grasp on her chin she walked to the opposite side of the fireplace and turned to face him again, "Of course I will be happy, why shouldn't I be just as happy with Mr. Collin's as anyone else? Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance."
Ignoring her obvious lies, he asked, "Are you in love with Mr. Collins?"
"My feelings towards him hardly matter now," she replied
"Then what does matter?"
"Nothing," she whispered, her eyes dropping once more.
"Please then, tell me you do not love me," he said taking a step closer to her.
She looked into his eyes again, tears beginning to brim over, "I cannot."
"Then, tell me you love me," he pleaded, taking another step.
"I will not," she answered, "why are you making this so hard for me? I will marry Mr. Collins, whom I marry does not concern you."
"I will not leave until you tell me you do not love me Ms. Elizabeth," he stared into her eyes, quieter than before he asked, "do you really want me to leave?"
"No," she whispered in a voice barely audible.
"Do you love me Ms. Elizabeth?" he asked, taking one more step closer to her.
She stared into his eyes, every fiber of her being wanted to scream, Yes!
But when she did not respond he continued, "I must tell you Ms. Elizabeth, you have bewitched me body and soul, everything I have done, I have done for you. I love you more than anything this Earth can ever offer and If you say you will be mine, I could never wish to be parted from you again. Please, tell me once and for all, do you love me?"
She could no longer bare it, the truth which she had been holding back, was released in two words, "I do," this would have sufficed, but she continued, "more than anyone could ever love someone else, it is you who has bewitched me, please," tears flowed freely down her cheeks now, "please, do not ever leave me," she said as she rushed into his open arms.
"I would follow you to the ends of the Earth, I could never leave you," he said stroking the back of her head, "I will never leave you."
Once more he placed his hand under his chin, tilting her head up ever so slightly so that he could look into her eyes, she was no longer crying. Her eyes bored into his as she said, "I love you," and he simply replied, "You are my life now," as she leaned in towards him, eyes closed, their lips met for the first time. She was completely ready to start her life with Mr. Darcy, the only man she had ever and would ever love.
The two lovers remained in each other's embrace in front of the fireplace for what seemed like an eternity, needing nothing else, seeing nothing else and feeling nothing else, but the warmth of the fire.