This Never Happened Before

Summary: What if Darcy was less guarded at Netherfield? This OOC one-shot, inspired by Paul McCartney, occurs during the Bennet sisters' stay at Netherfield.

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Jane Austen. This story is the property of the author.

Jane Austen Quote: ["…Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger."] (Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 10, Jane Austen, 1813.)

Chapter 1

Fitzwilliam Darcy sat in his guest chamber at the end of the day, contemplating the bewitching woman who was asleep in a guest chamber, just down the hall at Netherfield. What was it about her that had captured his imagination so successfully? – he wondered. She was beautiful, to be sure, despite his first impression; however, he had met many beautiful women in the past – women who were much better suited to be considered a likely match. But none of those women had ever invaded his thoughts and dreams the way Miss Elizabeth Bennet had done. She had been staying with the Bingleys the past few days, tending to her sister who was recuperating from a bad cold. The tenderness and loving care that she had shown her sister had illustrated her kind temperament, despite the witty, sarcastic barbs that she had frequently directed towards him. Normally, he would have been affronted by her impertinent remarks but she delivered them with such sweetness that it could only be perceived as playful banter. No woman of the Ton would even consider insulting him with the playful tone that Elizabeth had employed on many occasions; all they ever did was unquestionably agree with him, to the point of absurdity. Even Caroline Bingley was guilty of that annoying tactic.

Thinking back to the night they met, he now regretted that he had not danced with Elizabeth. Certainly he had never danced with a woman who had displayed such unreserved delight as he had observed on that evening. Of course, at the time, he thought her lack of reserve reflected poorly on her character; however, now that he had spent more time in her company, he found her mannerisms to be absolutely charming. Dances and balls had always been a source of displeasure for him; being an unmarried man of fortune, he was expected to dance with every insipid maiden in attendance. They all complimented and flattered him with abandon; much to his dismay. Elizabeth, of course, had never condescended to pay him a single compliment, and he found that he could not be more pleased.

His contradicting opinions on the young lady were a source of confusion to him. First he found her to be unacceptable but now he found her to be the most extraordinary woman of his acquaintance. How had she managed to vex him so? She had neither connections nor fortune and her family members were quite ridiculous; certainly a match with her was quite impossible. But when she gazed at him with her remarkable eyes and teasing smile, no other woman in the world could match her. Resigning himself to another sleepless night, he wished he had the forethought to bring a book with him before he retired for the evening.

~~oo~~

Elizabeth Bennet worried as she watched her sister's fitful slumber. Jane had taken ill after she had been caught in a downpour on her way to Netherfield. She had begged her Mama to allow Jane to take the carriage, but aware of the approaching storm and thinking herself quite clever, Mama had insisted that Jane travel the three miles to Netherfield on horseback. Having a new bachelor in the neighborhood was too much of a temptation for her poor Mama; the approaching storm would force her daughter to spend the night in the company of Mr. Bingley, who, of course, would fall madly in love with her and a wedding would naturally follow. Of course, Jane arrived soaked to the skin, needing immediate attention by the lady of the house and the local apothecary. She had slept poorly last night and had dozed off for only a few hours during the day; now even with the aid of the apothecary's remedy, her feverish sleep afforded her little comfort. Mr. Bingley had kindly invited Elizabeth to stay and tend to Jane as she recovered. There was nothing that Elizabeth would not do for her dearest sister and she could not rest knowing that Jane was suffering.

Of course, this involved subjecting herself to the scorn and disapproval of both Miss Caroline Bingley and Mr. Darcy; she supposed that she would never meet with the approval of either. Being a country girl, she had simple tastes and preferences which seemed to meet with the disapproval of her London acquaintances. Miss Bingley had treated her as though she was a competitor for the affections of Mr. Darcy, wrinkling her nose whenever she spoke to Elizabeth; the gentleman had only regarded her with distain, casting disapproving glances in her direction at every opportunity. However, poor Miss Bingley's jealousy was all for naught; from the first moment of their acquaintance, Mr. Darcy had made his opinion of Elizabeth perfectly clear: she was not handsome enough to tempt him. This suited Elizabeth perfectly since he was the most conceited and arrogant man of her acquaintance. However, this was just a temporary inconvenience; as soon as Jane was feeling well again, they would both return to their simple lives at home, away from negative influences.

She had finished reading the book she had borrowed from Mr. Bingley's library and longed for another book to divert her attention. Surely she could run down to the library, select a new book and return undetected, she thought. Considering the lateness of the hour, she confidently assumed that the other residents of the house were asleep and would never know of her midnight escapade. She listened at the door for any signs of movement and hearing none, opened the door to inspect the hallway and was relieved to find nothing but silence. With candle in hand, she slipped out into the hall, closed the door and quickly descended the stairs to the library. She perused the shelves and found the variety quite disappointing. Certainly there must be something here that she had not already read, she thought. She continued her search, holding the candle aloft and reading the titles.

~~oo~~

Darcy abandoned his futile attempt to sleep, left his chamber and made his way to the library. His astonishment was great when he discovered Miss Elizabeth searching the shelves, looking quite fetching in her night clothes and long plait, her face illuminated by the light of a single candle. "Miss Elizabeth!" he exclaimed. When she reacted with alarm, he became instantly aware of the impropriety of their unintended meeting: "I apologize for trespassing on your solitude. I gather we are in similar pursuits," he said, gazing into her incredible eyes. She cast her eyes down and he averted his own, knowing that their attire and closeness was a breach of propriety.

"I shall leave you to find your book, Mr. Darcy," she said with a quick curtsy and started for the door.

"No please Miss Elizabeth, I should not wish you to leave without a book. Shall I make a suggestion?" he asked, fully knowing that he should not linger there with her but helpless to do otherwise.

"Please do not trouble yourself, Sir," she told him, eager to get away as quickly as possible.

"It is no trouble at all, Miss Elizabeth," he replied, searching for the title he had recently seen there. He located the recent publication and handed it to her, hoping that it would meet with her approval.

She was startled at the selection he had made. "Oh yes, that is an excellent choice! I have wanted to read this novel for months," she exclaimed with an appreciative smile. He gazed at her for a long moment and she cast her eyes down, feeling his distain most severely. "I am sorry that I do not meet with your approval, Mr. Darcy," she whispered.

His astonishment was great! "What do you mean?" he asked. "You could never do other than meet with my approval," he said, attempting to reassure her.

She gazed directly into his eyes and replied: "When we first met, you said that I was not handsome enough."

He was instantly seized with mortification and reached for her hand; however, she was still holding the candle and the book and made no effort to relinquish either object. "Miss Elizabeth, you must allow me to apologize for that remark," he humbly told her. "It was made in haste and I have since come to realize that quite the opposite is true. You are in fact quite beautiful. I beg your forgiveness," he said, bowing deeply, still holding on to his candle. He noticed her reluctance and hesitation. "You must have thought me devoid of every proper feeling," he told her, deeply ashamed. She kept her eyes cast down and merely nodded in response. "I have since come to regret not dancing with you that evening, Miss Elizabeth. Your liveliness and sparkling personality have quite captured my attentions, which I fear have been too marked to have been mistaken," he admitted, hoping that she would realize the depth of his affections.

She nodded, "I have noticed your attentions, Mr. Darcy, but I thought your gazes reflected your disapproval of me."

"Disapproval?" he asked incredulously. He placed the candle on a nearby table. "Then, I fear you have mistaken me, Miss Elizabeth, for you have captivated me; your eyes, your smile, your laugh, your lively personality, your sharp wit – I have never met anyone like you. I am… enchanted," he said wistfully, gazing at her more intently.

"Mr. Darcy," she whispered, looking down at her feet and hoping that he could not see how deeply she was blushing.

Determined that she should know immediately how much he admired her, he continued: "Even now, with your hair down, in the light of the candles, you have never looked lovelier, in my estimation."

She gazed up at him with a new perspective. Is this the man that she had thought to be arrogant and conceited? The man who had gazed at her so intently? Could she have mistaken the meaning behind those gazes? Was it admiration that he had displayed instead of disapproval? Certainly at this moment, there was no question of his regard in his eyes, which searched hers with longing.

"Please say that you have forgiven me, Miss Elizabeth," he beseeched her.

She smiled a guilty smile. "Yes, Mr. Darcy, I shall forgive you on the condition that you forgive me for my bold and outspoken manners," she replied, recalling some of the recent barbs she had thrown in his direction.

Her enchanting manners brought a smile to his face. "There is nothing to forgive, Miss Elizabeth," he said as he took the candle and the book she had been holding, placed them on the table and grasped her hands. "This has never happened to me before," he told her.

"What is that?" she asked.

"I am so enchanted by you. I find that I can think of little else, you have so captured my imagination," he admitted.

"I would think that Miss Bingley would have claimed that honor by now, Mr. Darcy," she said with a teasing smile.

He loved her teasing nature. "No, I dare say she has not; despite her many attempts, she has never inspired anything in me other than avoidance," he told her, still holding her hands.

Unable to resist, she asked: "And what have I inspired, Mr. Darcy, if I may ask?"

He had no need to contemplate his response, he knew immediately: "The future, Miss Elizabeth. I see the future when I look into your eyes."

She now found herself in a very precarious situation. Being alone with a man could be perilous, even if the man in question was charming, handsome and apparently love-stricken. "That is a very pretty speech, Mr. Darcy, but I fear that I have lingered too long unchaperoned with you," she cautioned.

He could not disagree with her. "Yes, of course, you are quite right; we have broken propriety but please do not leave just yet. Would you consider entering into a courtship with me?" he asked.

She looked into his eyes, now unmistakably filled with admiration. Her mind reeled; in the span of a few minutes he had changed, in her estimation, from a critic to an admirer. He had not yet released her hands nor was she inclined to release his. If a courtship with him would be half as wonderful as the past few minutes had been, she would certainly achieve her lifelong dream; to marry for love. "Yes, Mr. Darcy, I will agree to a courtship."

He released her hands and wrapped his arms around her, inhaling her lavender scented hair and sighing deeply. They stood there, in an embrace, in their night clothes, alone in the middle of the night. Certainly if anyone were to encounter them in such a compromising position, it would do scandalous harm to her reputation. However, he had no doubt that she was the woman he had been searching for. Since they had already broken every rule of propriety, he lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers; a small, tender kiss to seal their agreement. She smiled up at him and glowed from within. He captured her lips once again and all of his reserve melted away as he explored her hungrily, passionately. When he ended the kiss, he held her close and told her: "This is the way it should be. You, in my arms; you, in my dreams; you, in my heart; you, in my life. This is the way it should be," he told her, burying his face into her hair and reveling in the closeness of her. "I shall speak to your father in the morning," he whispered.

~~The End~~

(Dear Readers, this fluffy one-shot was inspired by the 2006 movie, "The Lake House", with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock; the scene where they dance to the McCartney song, then share a smoldering kiss!)

(Dialogue and text were generously borrowed from the masterpiece "Pride and Prejudice".)