A/N: Thanks for the wonderful reviews. Sorry I take so long to update! I had a baby on March 5, so I've been busy with my new daughter. Hope you like the chapter!
April :- )
Chapter 10
Darcy turned to his left and right, trying to determine which direction Elizabeth had gone. To his right, the walkway got smaller and lead to a darkened area. He did not think Elizabeth would venture there, so he walked to his left. The wind began to blow a little and he could smell, faintly on the breeze, the scent of lavender water, the scent of his beloved Elizabeth. He peered around a bush and saw her with her back to him, leaning on a small stone wall. She was looking up at the stars and Darcy could tell from her erratic breathing that she had been crying. Elizabeth couldn't help it and began to cry again.
Why am I crying? I should be happy. But I am happy, are these tears of joy?
Darcy could not stand to see her in such a state. He had seen it before at Lambton and it pained him greatly to see tears in her eyes. He took out a handkerchief and slowly walked towards her. Elizabeth's back was still facing him and she put her hands over her face.
"Miss Bennet, please do not cry," Darcy said softly. Elizabeth spun around in surprise and gasped. "I am sorry to frighten you. Here." He offered her his handkerchief, which she gratefully took and wiped her face.
"Thank you, Mr. Darcy." She turned around to face the garden. Elizabeth did not want him to see her in her present condition.
Darcy wanted to reach out, put his arms around her and hold her forever. He wanted to do so many things at once. Lord, give me the strength to ask her a second timehe silently prayed. Elizabeth recovered herself enough to turn around and face him again.
"You must be happy to know that you have another sister," she said.
"Yes, I am happy. I only wish that my mother and father were still alive to see the child they thought was lost."
An awkward silence took over. I must finish telling him what I started to sayElizabeth thought. Darcy was also deep in thought. I must tell her that I still love her and wish her to be my wife.
"Mr. Darcy."
"Miss Bennet."
Once again they spoke at the same time. The two laughed at themselves.
"We always seem to speak at the same time, do we not? Pray, continue, Miss Bennet," said Darcy.
Elizabeth returned her gaze to the garden. "Mr. Darcy, as I started to say before, ever since our unexpected meeting at Pemberley, I have noticed that my feelings for you have undergone a drastic change. I saw how attentive and kind you were to me and my aunt and uncle and it made me realize that I had judged you too harshly. After you happened upon me at the inn at Lambton and I told you of my family's misfortune, I thought you wanted nothing more to do with me and I would never see you again."
Darcy moved next to her and leaned against the stone wall.
"That is not how I felt at all," he said. "I was quite shocked and distressed to know that Wickham had treated your sister the same way he treated mine. In truth, I cannot tell you exactly why I left so abruptly."
Elizabeth turned to face Darcy. "I was happy when you called on my family with Mr. Bingley. I was even happier when Mr. Bingley asked for Jane's hand in marriage. I knew you must have told him something, for he would not have gone against your judgment and wishes."
"Yes, I confessed to him my interference and my concealment of Miss Bennet while she was in London. I understand he went to Longbourne directly after I left that morning."
Elizabeth once again looked to the garden and then at the night sky. Tell him now, Lizzy. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sweet fragrance of the garden's flowers. She mustered up all her courage and looked to him. He was looking off into the garden, but, when he felt her gaze upon him, he turned and looked into her eyes.
"Mr. Darcy, I...I...I..," she recalled the words of his first proposal and a faint smile snuck onto her face, "you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." At that moment, Elizabeth felt a wave of relief come over her. Now, all her feelings were out in the open.
Darcy could scarcely believe what his ears had just beheld. She loved him! He was flooded with happiness. "Miss Bennet," he said with a voice filled with emotion. "I have prayed that someday you would come to feel that way for me. My love for you has grown since I first confessed my feelings to you. I was intending to renew my addresses, but I was afraid that I would be rejected a second time."
Elizabeth was glowing. She looked at Darcy and teasingly smiled. "Perhaps, you should throw caution to the wind and return to your original plan," she said.
Darcy smiled at her. "Perhaps you are right, Miss Bennet." He got down on one knee and took both her hands into his. "I dare say this one shall be much improved from the first. Miss Bennet, you are the only woman I shall ever love and the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with." Tears began to calmly fall from Elizabeth's eyes. Darcy went on. "I love you with all my heart and all my soul and will love you for all eternity. Miss Bennet...Elizabeth, will you marry me?"
She began to cry more, but managed to say, "Yes, of course I'll marry you. And I shall love you for all eternity. You are the best man I have ever known."
Darcy rose, brought each of her hands to his lips, and kissed them sweetly and softly. The touch of his lips on her flesh made her shiver with contentment. The wind suddenly picked up and Elizabeth shook a little from the cold. Darcy noticed. "Perhaps we should go back inside. It is beginning to get rather cold out and I would not want you to become ill."
Elizabeth wiped the tears off her face with his handkerchief and nodded in agreement. Elizabeth and Darcy took their sweet time returning to the ballroom. When they were almost upon the door and the voices of the guests could be heard, Elizabeth confessed to Darcy that she had discovered, a few months prior, Darcy's involvement in her sister's marriage.
"I did it all for you, Miss Bennet. If I had not been so conceited and proud, Wickham's true character would have been known and your sister would never have found herself in her present situation," said Darcy.
Elizabeth did not wish to see Darcy so troubled. "Mr. Darcy, please do not distress. We can now put that behind us. I do thank you for your help, sir. " She stopped. "But please do not think that I accepted you now solely out of gratitude. I truly love you."
Darcy placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head so he could look into her eyes. "I confess I was worried that if you knew of my involvement and I asked for your hand that you would accept me out of gratitude. But I now know that you love me for myself. Thank you, my beautiful Elizabeth."
They stood locked in that position for a few moments. With Darcy so close and his dark eyes piercing her, Elizabeth could hardly breathe and could feel her heart beating faster and harder. His eyes surveyed her face and looked longingly at her mouth. Darcy fought the desire to wrap her in his arms and carry her off into the night. He inched closer to her, still lovingly gazing into her eyes and casting small glances at her lips. Elizabeth began to feel nervous and her stomach felt as if a swarm of butterflies were flying around in it, but she did not care. Darcy wanted nothing more but to finally feel Elizabeth's lips touching his. For so long he had dreamed about it, but dare he do such a thing so close to the door and risk someone catching them. Darcy did not care and felt that such a risk was worth taking. He drew closer to her mouth.
"Elizabeth!" a woman shouted.
The trance Darcy and Elizabeth were under was broken and they quickly moved away from each other. They both looked in the direction of the door.
"Elizabeth!"
Darcy looked at his new fiancée. "It is your aunt. Come, let us return before they send a search party after us." Elizabeth nodded, too unnerved and breathless to speak.
Mrs. Gardiner stood outside the door and looked around for any sign of Elizabeth. She was about to enlist help when she saw the figures of Darcy and her niece walk out of the shadows.
Mrs. Gardiner smiled at Elizabeth and said, with relief, "There you are, Lizzy! I was beginning to worry about you."
"I am sorry I worried you, Aunt. I was exploring the garden when I found myself lost, but Mr. Darcy found me and he knew the way back," said she.
Mrs. Gardiner looked to Darcy. "Well thank you, Mr. Darcy, for finding my niece."
Darcy nodded and looked quickly at Elizabeth, then back at her aunt. "It was my pleasure, madam. Shall we go back inside, ladies?" The women agreed and he escorted them back into the ballroom.
Caroline, who was still a prisoner of the "Baroness of Chatter", kept her eye on the door the entire time Darcy was gone. When she spied him returning, she said, rather rudely, "Baroness, I apologize, but I am needed elsewhere. Good-bye."
Caroline jumped off the couch and walked, more accurately ran, away from the baroness. The baroness looked over at Lady Abigail and waved her hand. The countess smiled and mouthed the words "thank you" in return. Darcy, and the two ladies he was accompanying, walked to the front of the room and found everyone in both parties awaiting them. Caroline soon followed, mildly out of breath. She migrated directly next to Darcy.
"Mr. Darcy, where on earth have you been, I have been looking everywhere for you!" Caroline said to him.
Darcy, annoyed merely by her presence, looked at her and said, "I was taking care of a rather important matter, Miss Bingley."
All Caroline could stammer out was, "Oh, I see." What did that important matter have to do with Miss Eliza? She better not have used her 'arts and allurements' to trap you into marrying her.
Lady Abigail overheard Darcy and Caroline's little exchange and was very pleased with her brother's answer. Important matter, eh? I guess I won't have to beat him with a cane after all. She knew, being very observant of him and Elizabeth, that he had proposed and she accepted. Lady Abigail wondered to herself whether her brother would make an announcement here or wait until he had received Elizabeth's father's permission. A tiny smile began to form and she thought to herself, I cannot wait to see Miss Bingley's face when he announces the engagement. I would not miss that for anything. Colonel Fitzwilliam caught a glimpse of Lady Abigail smiling to herself and leaned towards her.
"Pray, what are you smiling so beautifully at?" His voice broke her from her daydream about Caroline's reaction.
"Oh, I am just happy. You will find out why soon enough, I'm sure," she replied, with a teasing sparkle in her eyes.
Elizabeth was admiring Darcy as he talked with her aunt and uncle. He was much more relaxed and he was smiling; she loved to see him smile. She stopped looking at her fiancé and glanced around the room. There were less people now because the party was ending. Elizabeth glanced across the dance floor to a corner and saw Mr. and Mrs. Hurst. She was about to bring her attention back to Darcy when she saw something that surprised her greatly. Mr. Hurst presented his wife with a single white rose. Mrs. Hurst accepted it and smiled radiantly at her husband. What happened next, made Elizabeth shake her head and blink a few times. Mr. Hurst took one of his wife's hands, kissed it, and, still holding on to it, leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. It lasted for only a few seconds, but Elizabeth was stunned. She had no idea that the Hurst's held that kind of regard for each other. How sweet, she thought, before focusing her attention back on Darcy.
Mr. Gardiner addressed his nieces, "Well, girls, I believe it is time for us to return home."
"We should be leaving as well," added Darcy.
"I agree," said Bingley, "but where is my sister and brother-in-law?"
Just then, the Hurst's walked over to the group arm in arm. With everyone gathered, the combined parties made their way out of the ballroom and back the way they came when they arrived. At the entrance were Lord and Lady Hampton wishing farewell to their guests and their son, Jonathan Wilborne. When Darcy and Elizabeth were next in line to say good-bye to the host and hostess, Jonathan looked at Lizzy and bowed to her. She looked at him with disgust, made no acknowledgment of him, and said good-bye to his parents. Darcy had noticed Elizabeth's reaction to Jonathan and inquired about it.
"It is nothing to worry about," she whispered. "If you truly wish to know, I will tell you another time."
The group stopped just outside the entrance and began saying their farewells to each other. Darcy looked at Elizabeth and raised her hand to his lips. "Until we meet again, Miss Bennet."
The two parties separated and departed for their respective carriages. Caroline Bingley was extremely happy to be out of Eliza Bennet's presence and to have Darcy out of it as well. She wanted to speak to Darcy before they reached the carriages, but she could not keep up with him. He was walking much too fast for her, which was his plan. Finally they reached their carriages and were soon on their way back to Darcy's townhouse.