Here we go, off to Scotland... in the series a LOT happens that more or less forces Elizabeth and Darcy into an off courtship. In Book 3, the scandal sheets had more than enough gossip about them which exacerbated the break with the Bennet family. Darcy's family is embroiled in scandal from Book 1, he nearly killed Elizabeth with his horse, and then up and disappeared from the county when his sister was found. Mr. Bennet is sick and wanted Elizabeth to marry collins and live at Longbourn with him. When she rejected Collins, she was thrown out of Longbourn to the Gardiners right after the Bingley wedding. She renewed the acquaintance with Mr. Darcy and they came to an understanding only for his family to ruin everything. That's in Book 2. Mr. Collins is horrific villain. Then in Book 3, they sought one last chance to marry from Meryton and were denied. So at this point, they could not care less about reputation nor convention since they really have nothing left to lose. I hope that helps for those who haven't read Books 1-3, and serves a good synopsis for those who have. :)

Hope THIS scene redeems the story for many of you. :) And if not, I understand everyone has their tastes and a BIG thank you to everyone loving it so far! I feel the momentum building!

XOXOX
Elizabeth Ann West

Three of the most modern coaches owned by the Darcy family lined up in the drive heavily packed for the elopement to Gretna Green. The full coterie of staff and belongings would permit an extended wedding trip at Carver House further in the north of Scotland. Fitzwilliam Darcy crouched next to the vehicle in the middle of the caravan that was to carry him and his beloved. He peered through the spokes of the wheel to visually inspect the tongue and axles for himself.

"I tells you, sir, me and Jamie crawled each undercarriage ourselves and looked carefully for any signs of breakage."

Mr. Darcy sighed and pushed up from the gravel drive to stand his full height. He slapped his hands back and forth to loosen any small pebbles that stuck to his gloves before clapping his driver on the shoulder. "I believe that you did just as Simmons asked. Call me a superstitious groom, but until I have Miss Bennet across the border and before the anvil, I'm afraid I leave nothing to fate."

The driver and his master shared a hollow laugh, but Darcy could not shake the ominous feeling of dread that lifted the small hairs on the back of his neck. He could not place his finger on it, but like a pressure drop before a great storm, he felt anxious.

A small lad ran up to the master and tipped his hat as Darcy accepted from the boy a letter.

"Mr. Arnold sent me to run from the gatehouse." The boy gasped for breath. "He says the rest can wait, sir," he gasped again. "But says this be a letter you'd want right away."

Darcy complimented the boy for his diligence before he ran off on his next errand. Darcy inspected the letter that was not open, but upon seeing the return address realized it was from his sister, Georgiana Wickham, in London. Darcy groaned and tucked the letter into his pocket as above him on the steps of Pemberley stood a sight he wished to etch forever in his mind.

Attired in a full travel outfit of many layers in a soft petal pink, Elizabeth stood flanked by her maid and his man Simmons at the top of the stairs ready for leave at the appointed hour. Darcy's breath caught in his throat. She giggled and began to take the steps shaking Darcy out of his stupor. He dashed up the worn stone entryway in a stride of three to four steps at a time with his long legs to catch up to Elizabeth and offer her his arm.

"I thought you would wait for me in the entryway," he said.

"And I thought you would not take forever in checking the carriages. Honestly, Fitzwilliam, I watched you from the window and wondered if you were going to crawl underneath the carriage yourself?" Elizabeth teased her soon-to-be husband, but only lightly. She had come to rely on his steadfastness and acute attention to detail since January when she had boldly decided to return a book of sonnets to his London home after she was cast out of Longbourn to her relations in Cheapside.

As the staff poured out of the main door to see the master and the woman who would return as his wife off on their journey, Darcy and Elizabeth continued to break with tradition by riding alone in the middle carriage. Simmons, Betsy, and other servants filled the first and third carriage with two additional armed footmen in each vehicle. For Darcy and Elizabeth's coach, the armed footmen rode on the jumpseat. The height of the summer travel season dictated the necessity of the additional protection as Darcy would be taking with him many valuables as he did not intend return to Pemberley with Elizabeth until late autumn at the earliest.

Other than his love of Pemberley, Fitzwilliam Darcy held a good mind to find solidarity with his ancient clansmen and remain in the Highlands of Scotland his remaining days. Looking over at the bright young woman sitting beside him eagerly waving to the staff that offered her the minimum level of respect though she took care not to show offense taken, he realized such a drastic escape to Scotland would take her too far from the world she loved. The couple lurched jerkily as the three coaches began the procession through the drive and took up a leisurely speed to the gatehouse. Elizabeth settled back against the bench next to her intended, her breath a bit rapid as she twisted her reticule between her hands. Darcy noticed her nervousness and gallantly reached his large hand over to comfort hers. Elizabeth looked up at him expectantly and managed a half smile. But even he could see she was putting on a brave face.

Darcy cleared his throat. "I am ever so sorry this is the only way, my love."

Elizabeth looked at him with a quizzical brow and then laughed. "I cannot say I am upset at the means in which we become husband and wife."

"But your father and your family? I confess that part of my design in pausing so long at Pemberley was hope that an express be sent. I made sure to instruct Bingley to make it known we would be stopping at Pemberley before we would continue to Gretna Green."

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I'm afraid you're not well acquainted with my father." Her voice tried to keep a light tone, but a mixture of her embarrassment and anxiousness made her declaration come out shaky. "I am not entirely sure what caused him to become so prejudiced against you. At first, I thought after I rejected Mr. Collins I had insulted his pride personally, but he still cannot even admit how horrible of a man my cousin…" Elizabeth scowled as she struggled to get the words out and she privately chastised herself that she would not cry. There would be no tears in the carriage on the way to her greatest dreams since she fell in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy at Netherfield Park.

Thinking back to when they first courted in her sickroom, Elizabeth restored her countenance, and as the coach passed the stone arch to mark the end of the estate grounds, she offered Fitzwilliam a mischievous smile. "How was it that you knew when you loved me?"

"I could say I was in the middle before I realized I'd even begun." Mr. Darcy said to Elizabeth's scoff. Seeing an opening, he took another ridiculous position. "In fact," he paused to lean over quickly and kiss Elizabeth's lips. Despite the great surprise to her, she heartily welcomed his attentions with her hands snaking effortlessly around his neck. They broke apart so that he might continue. "In fact, I might say it was love at first sight."

"Oho, I'm certain I looked my best unconscious and bleeding in the ditch." Though she had been seriously injured when she dove out of the way of his racing horse and experienced many months of pain and suffering as a result, she could now find the folly in their first introduction of persons.

"But you could never claim to have loved me at first sight."

Elizabeth crossed her arms in front of her chest taking him up in his game of wits. "Never tell a lady which she may or may not claim as a position, sir."

"Sir?" Darcy leaned closer so that his nose tickled just below her ear next to her jaw. Elizabeth shivered and scooted just ever so slightly away from him. She twisted her torso so that she might address them directly.

"I will have you know that from the earliest moments of our acquaintance I found myself distractedly attracted to your good manners and sincere care for my well-being."

Fitzwilliam leaned closer to her as though he might kiss her once more and Elizabeth tilted her chin up in anticipation. He paused right before reaching her.

"Truly? The moment that you saw me as you lay in your sickbed you felt such strong feelings?" His voice cracked with emotion, and Elizabeth nodded.

Fitzwilliam bellowed with a chuckle as he pecked Elizabeth's lips and then leaned back for what he expected to be swift retribution.

"Well thank God Mr. Bingley married your sister because you thought I was him!"

Elizabeth squawked and played up a sense of insult, but it was all just for sport. The happy couple on their way to the altar in Gretna Green were not the least bit upset with one another and spent the better part of an hour reminiscing on all they had been through since that fateful day when Elizabeth jumped out of the way of his horse. She even thanked him for delaying them so long at Pemberley just in case her father had a change of heart and granted his permission for them to marry from her home parish.

It was not until after two stops to switch out the horses, and the sun hung low in the sky as they neared their last stop for the night that Elizabeth nuzzled up against Fitzwilliam's broad shoulders and fell fast asleep. Darcy did not mind holding Elizabeth as she slept, though the sun's low angle nearly blinded him, he could not reach to pull the far shade without disturbing her. Neither could he reach his novel that he had packed away in the basket below them thinking they would hold more conversation before stopping for the night.

Elizabeth murmured unintelligibly in her sleep and stirred, Fitzwilliam gently squeezed her upper arms, and his embrace seemed to settle her once more. His right hand felt a sharp jab near his wrist, and he thought perhaps a pin from her hair or gown had poked him. He craned his neck around to see the offending item was not iron, but the sharp corner of a letter pressed into his hand right before they had left and forgotten almost as soon as he had tucked it away. Carefully, he reached down to pull the missive from his pocket and managed to break the seal to unfold the parchment without disturbing Elizabeth.

He quickly read over the insincere lines of inquiry into his health and Elizabeth's in his sister's hand around thinly veiled complaints about being left in such poverty of lifestyle. He quickly skipped to the end where his sister made her pleas, confessing she was with child and that her greatest wish was to have the babe at Pemberley.

Darcy blew out an audible gasp as he had not realized he had held his breath as he read the letter. Spying that Elizabeth still did not stir, he leaned his head back against the top of the bench cushion to look up at the dark ceiling of the carriage. The setting sun in a race with them to their last inn matched his mood as it allowed the interior of the carriage to grow darker and darker.

Pressing his lips into a firm line, Fitzwilliam Darcy folded the parchment so carefully written by his sister days ago and lifted the window pane closest to him. Without a single regret and no more willingness to sacrifice his happiness for the spoiled demands of his sister, Fitzwilliam Darcy tore the parchment into pieces and let them flutter out the window to the cow pasture beside the road.

Too bad we can't throw Georgiana into the cow pasture . .. :) but yeah one reason I was STUCK was it was originally going to be a different letter that arrived that Darcy crumpled and was like "NOPE I'm done being everything to everyone else, I'm getting married, end of story." And he will get that letter later, those events are still planned, but I do THANK the readers who said "can we go to scotland now already?" because that HELPED me realize I was holding onto a darling that needed release. Yes, it is a moment I've had in my head since the day I dreamed of "What if Georgiana married George Wickham?" but ultimately, nearly 200,000 words into this epic storyline, it wasn't right for Darcy. And I see that now. KISSES AND HUGS!

review review review I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

PS great catch on seized vs ceased... I fixed that in the final copy for the copyeditor! XOXOX