Wow! I can't believe how many responses I got from the last chapter! thank you all! and you can attribute that to the speed with which I was able to post another chapter! Sorry, I'm usually so slow everyone, hope you enjoy!

Fitzwilliam had been afraid he would be unable to sleep last night, knowing that Elizabeth would be reading his letter. It had taken him a good deal of tossing and turning to finally drift off into a less than peaceful sleep, in which he kept revising the letter he had written. As it was, he still woke quite early. Not wanting to repeat the morning of the day before he rose even though he was still tired and crossed to the window. It was frosted over, and he could feel the cold radiating off of it. Otherwise, however, the day looked very fine; sunny and bright.

Perhaps they might go for a short walk in the sparkling gardens. This idea and his anxiousness to know Elizabeth's answer to his letter made him turn quickly from the window, ready to meet the day. His hand froze over the bell rope though as his eye fell on a folded note lying at the foot of the door separating their rooms. It bore his name in neat writing. Mr. Darcy.

His hands trembled slightly as he unfolded the paper, afraid of what he might find inside. While Elizabeth had been open to the idea the day before he could not help fearing rejection from her again.

Mr. Darcy did not get down as early as he had intended to since he found himself writing a reply to Elizabeth letter, but it was nowhere near as late as the day before. Elizabeth's message had certainly not been as warm as his, but that had not been expected. Still, it had been encouraging. The very fact that she had written back was encouraging.

His first letter from Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy put it away, sure he would bring it out many times to read. His next step planned out, he rang for his valet and felt that it was an interminable amount of time before he was ready to go downstairs.

Elizabeth was the only one in the breakfast room when he descended. At his entrance, she glanced up from where she was adding the generous amount of cream she liked in her tea and gave him a small smile.

It was a smile he had not seen before. Since their marriage he had found himself categorizing his wife's smiles, they were an easy way to read her. This smile was not her playful smile, nor her arch laugh, not even the finding-something-amusing smile, and certainly not the formal smile he hated that she had so often given him. He would have to find its name soon. Shaking himself out of the reverie he too often found himself sinking into around her he cleared his throat.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," when she nodded to him he noticed the flower nestled in her dark curls. It was the same one he had given her the night before. He was gratified by her wearing it. Filling his plate, he joined her at the table. He should ask her about the walk while he had the chance and they were alone. Just out with it. Ask her.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yes?" she looked up from her tea "would you care to join me for a walk in the gardens later, if the weather is not too inclement?" why was he so nervous? He hated that and hoped she wouldn't pick up on it, or worse, tease him about it.

"I should like that," Elizabeth answered, and he quietly let out a breath, then her eyes twinkled "but only, of course, if we are properly chaperoned, I would not want you to think I was too eager," her smile threatened to give away her joke.

"Of course," he agreed "I should never compromise a lady. Would you prefer we conduct our courtship in the drawing-room under the watchful eye of my cousin the Colonel?"

Elizabeth looked slightly alarmed "I did not mean for you to take it that far-" she started before catching his smile.

"Did you just tease me, Mr. Darcy?"

"Perhaps," he looked down to hide his smile, focusing on buttering his toast.

oOOOo

Elizabeth turned back to her own breakfast, a smile playing about her lips. Mr. Darcy had teased her, and she found she liked it exceedingly.

"I wonder where Georgiana and the Colonel can be?" Elizabeth asked, changing the subject.

"I cannot say. Who knows what they are planning," the last part was muttered under his breath.

"Planning?' Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Doing," he quickly corrected, flushing slightly.

Elizabeth didn't have long to ponder over this as in moments the two arrived in the breakfast room.

"Good morning," Georgiana said sweetly, joining them at the table. "How beautiful," she admired Elizabeth's flower "I have not seen you wear flowers before. I have always liked Amaryllis, it symbolizes splendid beauty, but also worth greater than beauty," she added, shyly ducking her head. Elizabeth had not thought to look up the meaning of the flower. She wondered if Mr. Darcy had or if it were a mere chance. His slight air of embarrassment suggested that he had indeed chosen the flower on purpose.

"Do we have any plans for the day?" the Colonel asked, joining them at the table.

"Only a walk in the gardens," Elizabeth offered, feeling they needed to include their guest.

"Rather cold for that, I might just stay inside," the Colonel said decidedly.

"What would you do inside?" Elizabeth asked. Not including her dear new sister, the Colonel was by far her favorite of her husband's relatives she had met.

"I might just read."

"You never read," Mr. Darcy protested.

"Well, perhaps I will turn over a new leaf," Richard smiled innocently.

oOOOo

Bundled against the cold, Elizabeth tucked her hands into her muff she went to meet her husband at the front entrance. In her warm boots, her approach was quiet, and she came upon Mr. Darcy and Mrs. Reynolds in deep conversation. Their voices were low, and all she caught before they heard her and quickly fell silent was Mrs. Reynolds reassuring him not to worry about something, as everything was in hand.

"What are you worried about?" Elizabeth asked, joining Mr. Darcy.

"Nothing at all," he said easily "Mrs. Reynolds was just assuring me that all is in hand for the holiday.

"I see," something didn't ring true, but before she could ask more, Georgiana and the Colonel appeared dressed just as warmly.

"Have you decided to join us after all?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, actually we were going to drive out with a few of the footmen to see that the pond was cleared up for skating," Georgiana said. She looked to Elizabeth "Fitzwilliam promised me that he would come skating with me this evening, we would love to have you join us."

The invitation was sincere, at least on Georgiana's part, but her husband's expression was less than pleased, to be honest. But Georgiana wasn't looking at him, waiting for Elizabeth's response.

"I should like that very much," Elizabeth agreed.

"Excellent, it's not Christmas without a skating party," the Colonel seconded the idea, before giving Georgiana his arm to lead her out where their small sleigh was waiting.

Elizabeth found Mrs. Reynolds was gone by the time this conversation had ended, and she and Mr. Darcy were alone.

"Shall we go?"

"Certainly."

The Pemberley Gardens were beautiful when in full bloom, but Elizabeth felt that today they rivaled even the summer, everything coated in a few inches of sparkling white. Each and every bush and branch holding their own pile of perfect snow. The walkways had been cleared mostly, but their footsteps still crunched in the snow. The silence was broken only by the call of birds in the frosty morning air.

Elizabeth took her husbands arm, feeling the beauty around her fill her up with a bubbling cheerfulness. "You have got me all alone Mr. Darcy, yet you have nothing to say?" she smiled up at him. His expression was much more serious as he stared down at her, looking into her eyes. And for a moment she thought he might kiss her, but then he seemed to mentally jerk himself away.

"Er, say about what?" he looked forward again.

"You are courting me, are you not?" perhaps he needed a little help.

"Yes."

"Then I believe it is common practice to speak to the lady. You might compliment me, my tolerable beauty you withstood from the beginning, but if you think hard you might come up with something about my charming wit or…" she left the sentence hanging, waiting eyebrows raise in anticipation.

"You are beautiful," he protested her comment, "I may not have seen it at once, but I was wrong, you are far from tolerable."

"Hmm, far from tolerable, you will have to do better than that," Elizabeth teased.

"You are beautiful," He persisted.

"Beautiful as what?" she looked up at him, her dancing eyes catching the sunlight.

"You are as beautiful as," he paused for a long moment as if searching. "Your eyes," he spoke up suddenly.

Elizabeth frowned "I am as beautiful as my eyes?"

"No," he shook his head "Your eyes are beautiful," he suddenly looked away again, and Elizabeth sensed he was nervous. "They are the first thing I admired about you," he said quietly.

"Truly?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. Sensing that the admission might not have been easy for him.

"Yes."

"Well, in all fairness I should tell you the first thing I admired about you then," she suggested.

"You admired anything about me?" his tone was embarrassed and slightly hopeful.

"Oh yes, I thought you quite the most handsome man I had seen in quite a while when you first entered the ballroom," she left off the part of, it only lasted until you opened your mouth, however. His face might be red from the cold, or it could be an entirely different reason.

oOOOo

"Where are you going?" Georgiana asked curiously as Richard left the footmen to sweep the snow off the pond and took the reigns, staring the horses again and sending them swooshing across the snowy path into the woods about Pemberley.

"I did not actually come to see the pond was ready, the footmen could have done that themselves," Richard reminded her. "I came to collect something to add to the decorations for Pemberley." With this, he stopped the horses and handing Georgiana the reigns, trudged through the snow and into the trees. He was back in a few minutes with several bunches of greenery.

Georgiana's face broke into a smile "mistletoe," she said.

oOOOo

Elizabeth had thought him handsome. The thought was pure pleasure and remained firmly embedded in his mind throughout their wandering in the garden. How many times since first meeting her had he imagined such a scene as this? The two of them, in perfect harmony, wandering the gardens. Of course, he had imagined many other scenes that he had best not think about at present.

"The pond is ready!" Georgiana called bringing him out of his revery. Were they back already? He and Elizabeth must have been walking for longer than he had thought. She came towards them, nearly skipping with the Colonel in her wake. He dreaded skating, yet how could he say no when she was apparently so excited about it? And now Elizabeth would be there too.

"Isn't the snow beautiful?" Georgiana added once she had caught up, making as if to join them.

"Very lovely," Elizabeth agreed. "I remember when I was much younger how exciting the first snow was. I always wanted to be the first out of the house so that my print was the first to mar the snow," Elizabeth said, her smile warm as she remembered.

"As I recall you did that the first time it snowed here," Mr. Darcy spoke up, amused to know the reason his wife had felt the need to be up at such an early hour that first morning.

Elizabeth colored and changed the subject. "What do you remember doing in the snow Richard?"

"Snowball fighting of course," the Colonel responded at once.

"It no doubt prepared you for war," Elizabeth agreed, her eyes lighting with laughter.

"Richards style of snowball fighting is war," Darcy remembered, "and he takes no prisoners."

"It's been a long time since I've played in the snow," Georgiana commented thoughtfully, and Darcy had to agree. When had been the last time he had even thought of doing such a thing? Quite a while before his father had passed on he was sure. At that instant, with a wet smack, a large snowball exploded on the back of his shoulder.

Shocked he turned around to the sound of his sister and cousin laughing to see Elizabeth, obviously the guilty party with her snow-covered gloves, laughing with the others. She had thrown a snowball at him. He could hardly believe it, well, it was Elizabeth.

oOOOo

His surprise was perfect, Elizabeth laughed merrily, wondering when the last time she had laughed quite like that was. Suddenly Mr. Darcy smiled, almost devilishly "very well Mrs. Darcy, turnabout is fair play," he said, crouching to make his own snowball.

With a sequel, Elizabeth dodged behind the nearest tree, and the snowball smashed against its trunk. That was all it took, Georgiana immediately joined in, and the Colonel was already rolling snowballs. And Elizabeth couldn't remember the last time she's had so much fun, even though she did get snow down her back.

oOOOo

Inside again, breathless and teeth chattering, the party divided to go to their separate rooms and change out of their wet clothes. Her husband walked her to her room, and Elizabeth paused at the door. She spoke to his back as he started to go "I enjoyed the walk very much, thank you."

Mr, Darcy turned "I enjoyed it as well. Perhaps we might do it again?"

"Yes, I would hope so," with that Elizabeth went into her room, feeling a warm smile on her face that she didn't try to sort out the source of.