Just being near Lizzie is enough to fill his head with a fuzziness that makes him quite unable to be polite to Mrs Bennet even if he wanted. He knows he's behaving even more eccentrically than usual but all that he can pray is that Bing picks up on his current state of mind and does something because there's no way he can communicate that he's been struck dumb with love. He feels ridiculous but that's exactly what has happened, he can't speak because his nerves and excitement at seeing Lizzie again have combined to create a blockage in his throat that severely impedes even answering in the affirmative to Jane's enquiry about tea. He's sat near Lizzie, not by design but by coincidence or, it occurs to him, perhaps Lydia and Jane planned it between them. Bing has happily placed himself as close to Jane as he can and is busy exchanging shy smiles with her. This leaves the tongue tied Darcy to carry a conversation with Lizzie, her alarming sister Lydia and her even more alarming mother. Getting bored perhaps, Lydia wanders of and the mother, seeming to tire of needling at Darcy's wealth and poor manners, follows. Lizzie raises an eyebrow at him and he manages a weak smile. Suddenly standing, she extends a hand and unable to believe his luck, he places his own palm in hers. He tries not to swallow too hard at the feel of her firm grip and follows her lead out of the room, awkwardly catching Jane and Bing smiling as they watch him leave. To his alarm, Lizzie leads him towards the front door and for one awful moment he wonders if he's going to be thrown out but then he notices that Lizzie is grabbing her own jacket as well as his and she's putting on her shoes. Lizzie yells out that they're going on a walk and pulls him out before she gets a response.

They walk off down the road, Lizzie setting a brisk pace which surprises him slightly. For such a small girl, she walks quickly. Once they get a little way away from the house, she stops.

'Right. They can't see us from here.'

He checks over his shoulder to see that they are just out of sight of the front windows of her house.

'I promise that my mother will be craning out of that window for the next half hour, wanting to know what we are doing so I thought I'd make sure she couldn't see us when I ask you this.'

She stopped for a moment as if for him to interject but he was caught between surprise at what she was saying and an interest in her lips which were even more enticing than he remembered.

'I need to know what you guys are doing here.'

Confused by the statement, all he can answer is 'Why?'

For a usually verbose guy, he is feeling alarmingly wordless today.

'I want to know if I need to go back and stop Jane opening the box in her heart where she has put all he feelings for Bing. If she opens it and he isn't interested, I think she'll never recover.'

He recognises her concern for he sister but wishes for once that she could be selfish and ask about him first.

'Bing is here to ask her forgiveness and beg on bended knee that she come to supper this evening. He didn't speak to me for three days when I told him what I'd done and he's still only talking to Caroline if it's really necessary. He still loves her and I assume from what you've said that she still loves her in which case I think that those smiles they were exchanging will be the least sickeningly sweet thing they'll ever do as a couple.'

She bites back a smile as some of the worry leaves her eyes and he feels momentary pride at having created both the smile and the reduction in worry. She begins to walk again, apparently feeling that the important part of their conversation is over while he feels his heart begin to rise in his chest again because he knows quite well that this is not true.

To his surprise, it is she who breaks the silence. 'I have to thank you. What you did for Lydia, for all of us, well… thank you.'

All he can think is that he did it all for her, perhaps a little for Gigi, but really all for her. From the look on her face, he realises that something to that effect is coming out of his mouth and he abruptly stops speaking, only to start again.

'I can't do this Lizzie.'

She turns in surprise. 'Do what?'

'I've got to know if I've got a chance. If you say no, I'll never mention this again but you should know that I'm still in love with you.'

She looked at him in astonishment. She was amazed at what he'd said and she was terrified as what she knew had to come out of her mouth in reply.

He went on, 'just tell me if your feelings are unchanged from last April and if they are, I promise I will refrain from mentioning this again.'

Only Darcy could say 'refrain' and sound normal, even, she pondered, slightly sexy. When had she started to find his tendency to use words which came from previous centuries alluring instead of incredibly annoying?

She realised she had been silent for far too long and that he looked crushed. He turned away from her and she felt sure she could see the hint of tears. Realising that her lack of reaction was the cause of it gave her an unexpected sense of sorrow.

'Will...'

He turned quickly.

'I… I'm not sure what to say. I guess I should start with the fact that if things hadn't got in the way, I would have gone to the theatre with you that night.'

He began to smile.

'And I suppose the only way to describe it is that my feelings… well my feelings are completely the opposite of what they were. It's safe to say your feelings are recipro…'

He reached for her and her words were cut off as he pulled her up towards him, lowering his head to hers for a gentle kiss.

'...cated.' She smiled. 'Your feelings are reciprocated.'

In mutual agreement, they began to walk again, shoulders and hands bumping together gently until she grasped his own large hand in hers and with a shy smile, he folded his fingers around hers.