Part XXVI.

As soon as the next day dawned Elizabeth was up and out of the Inn. During the night she had come to an impulsive resolution and she was determined to act upon it before her mind thought the better of it. The resolution was a simple one, but it was also dependant upon certain factors occurring at the same time and she was none too hopeful that on the day she wanted such factors to occur, that they actually would.

But she had to try, her whole happiness depended upon it.

She was soon successful in her mission, encountering him seated upon a grassy ledge overlooking a lake. Not trusting herself to speak at first, Elizabeth stood observing him for some time, wishing that somehow she could interpret from his mien, what possessed his thoughts.

Did he still think of her, or had the absence and distance between them triggered a change? A part of her feared the latter was the case, yet her rationale could not help but remind her that such a circumstance had done nothing to alter his affections before meeting him here.

She realised that she would have to overcome her preoccupation and ask him. Return to her former boldness of nature. Elizabeth stepped forward. "Mr Darcy, I have been walking for some time in the hope of meeting you." Surprised at her own phrasing, it took some time for Elizabeth to recover herself enough to meet his eyes as he turned to face her.

Darcy could do no more than gasp at first. He had not imagined it. She was here. His hands moved over the pockets of his jacket, feeling for the box that they already knew was there. Carrying it had become a reflex almost, a prayer certainly. And it was a fervent one at that. Slowly, courage rising, he moved to close the distance between them. "Miss Bennet," he began in a tone that betrayed all his feelings, despite the formality of address, "I am most pleased to see you again."

Elizabeth desperately tried to contain her blush as she met his intense gaze. "I wanted to see you because...," she paused as nerves overtook her. Breathing deeply, the moment passed and she continued. "Because I have an answer to your question. I have had it since you were so good as to voice it in the first place and, had not circumstances hindered us, I would have given it then. Would you like to hear my answer, sir?"

To say that Darcy was shocked by the suddenness of this situation, would be an understatement. For he had hoped, somehow, to have more time before such an event arose between them. Time enough to prepare himself for the rejection that his mind had convinced him was to be the outcome. Now he wished to delay.

"Please, Miss Elizabeth, if you wish to have more time to contemplate it," he began, somewhat flustered, "then you may. I have no wish for you to feel pressured indeed..." he trailed off briefly, convinced now he had ruined himself in her eyes forever by continuing to ramble thus. "I know that such a question requires one to take much time in considering how best to answer..."

Elizabeth could stand it no longer, even though a part of her was highly amused that she had managed to reduce one of the most illustrious personages in the land to rambling. She took another deep breath and began. "Mr Darcy," she uttered calmly. No effect. "Sir," she tried a second time. This form of address was also greeted with the same reaction as the first. "Fitzwilliam," she began a third time, feeling that nothing could stop him.

This however did. Darcy came to a halt instantly, looking at her in complete surprise. "Say that again," he commanded, convinced he had imagined it.

"Fitzwilliam," Elizabeth repeated, smilingly.

Darcy felt his courage and his hope, rise. He took her hands. Never before had he heard his given name uttered with such love. He realised now with joy how much wisdom had been in the wishes of his youth not to called by any other name but William. For only one person could speak his true name. "Miss Elizabeth, my love, tell me my ears have not deceived me."

"They have not, Fitzwilliam," she replied, her smile growing wider.

"Then I have your answer?" He softly asked, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Not quite." Elizabeth clasped his hands tightly. "Fitzwilliam, I love nothing in the world so well as you. Naught else will give me greater happiness than in becoming your wife."

For a moment he was silent, frozen to the spot by her words. Then his emotions took over, allowing him to lean forward and take her lips in his. He begun their first kiss tentatively, not wishing to alarm her, hoping to encourage a response.

Elizabeth was surprised at his answer to her own at first, but soon found her emotions taking over, and managed to respond to his movements. She was so caught up in the kiss that she felt quite disappointed when he drew back so soon.

Darcy smiled at her reaction. "There will be time for kisses soon enough, my dearest," he remarked softly, retracting one of his hands to reach into his pocket. "For now, I wish to give you something." He placed the box before her. With one hand to hold it, he used the other to open, so she could see the contents. "This has been in my family for generations. I am so pleased to finally give it to you." He took her left hand in his and gently slid the ring on to her finger.

Elizabeth gasped as she surveyed it, watching the sunlit sparkles. "It is beautiful." She looked up him with smile. "I confess that I cannot quite believe this is happening."

"Neither can I," Darcy agreed. With one hand he returned the box to his pocket and then put it back on hers, reluctant to let go, just in case she faded away in the dreamlike quality that this occasion had acquired. Unable to control himself, he leaned forward and kissed her again. His hands drifted to her face, fingering the dark locks that surrounded it.

He felt hers place themselves on his waistcoat, as she began to kiss him back. His heart leapt. This was real! It was finally real! She was his, now and forever. He felt his control slipping even further and strove to retrieve it, moving from her lips to her cheeks, and finally to her closed eyelids, which he had been longing to kiss since he had decided to try again.

Elizabeth received his intentions with pleasure and happiness that increased every moment. To have his hands upon her face, his fingers in her hair, his lips upon hers, was almost too wonderful to believe. Her lips began to ache as he moved from them to her cheeks then to eyelids, which she had closed long ago in order to loose herself in the paradise that was the present. She felt him stop and opened her eyes, to gaze at him in a daze.

For a while both simply stood there, revelling in the moment, marvelling over the bliss that it had evoked, that it was truly occurring. Then, clasping her left hand on which the engagement ring glowed with mystical light, Darcy began to escort her back to Lambton, taking care to go as slowly as possible, not wishing to loose one second more than necessary in her company. In hushed tones he began conversation, asking her when her feelings began to change. He was most surprised at her answer.

"Almost as soon as I had read your letter," Elizabeth replied. "Why are you so surprised?"

"Because I am now quite convinced that I wrote that letter in a dreadful bitterness of spirit," Darcy answered. "I was too angry with you and myself at the time to do anything less."

"My first reading of it, I confess, did not enamour its author to me very much," Elizabeth continued, "but the second perusal began to convince me that in most cases you were right."

"Still, I should not have told you so as I did thus," Darcy decided.

"True," Elizabeth agreed with a lively arched smile, looking at him in order to convince him that she did not mean it seriously. "And now I must ask you something. What made you decide to try again? We had not seen each other for four months."

"I cannot recall the words, or the look, or the moment which caused my mind to decide I had a chance," Darcy remarked. "But I do remember that on the day Richard told me we were to leave here, I made up mind to ask again instantly. I feared if I didn't, you would be lost to me forever. Despite Bingley's engagement to your sister, I knew that the chances of you and I meeting again were rare. I did not want to loose you again."

Darcy paused to smile at her. "The only thing I regret is not waiting for your answer that morning at the church. I had told myself to do so before I met you, but when the moment came I could not follow through. That day at Hunsford replayed itself in my head. It caused me to doubt why I had any right to think you would accept me."

"Fitzwilliam, you had every right to ask again. At Hunsford I was far too prejudiced to even listen to what you were trying to tell me. That you loved me."

"Loved, loves and in love with you, Elizabeth," Darcy gently corrected her. "Although the emotion is still quite a novelty to me, I must confess."

"It is to me as well," Elizabeth admitted. "I only realised when I spent the evening at the Watsons that I felt the same."

"Tell me, did you truly say to Mrs Reynolds that I was courting you?"

Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. "Where did you hear that from?"

"Richard told me that he had it from her one day. Is it not true, then?"

"She asked me if it had been a difficult courtship and I said yes," Elizabeth explained. "Do you mind me saying as much?"

"No, never," Darcy quickly reassured her. "Kate has always been very discreet. But she also has a soft spot for my cousin."

"And for you," Elizabeth added. Darcy looked at her with puzzlement. "She told me once that she has never had a cross word from you in her life. She did much to raise my opinion of you before you came to Pemberley."

"I must thank Kate when I return," Darcy mused. He came to a halt as they reached the edge of the fields signified by the fence that marked the boundary of his estate. Taking both of her hands in his, he paused a moment to marvel at the sight of the ring on her left. "Elizabeth," he began reverently, "I cannot tell you how much I relish the sight of that ring upon your hand. How grateful I am that you gave me a second chance."

"The same must be said for me," Elizabeth replied. "And I shall promise you that I will try to remain as constant in my love for you as you have done for me, Fitzwilliam."

Darcy smiled happily. "How well you say that," he mused, "I cannot tolerate hearing it said by anyone else." His hand left hers for a moment to finger a curl as she gazed deep into his eyes, meeting his joyful mood. His control slipped, his other hand copied the action of the first, and he leant forward to seize her lips again.

Elizabeth felt herself go weak and leant back against the sturdy fence for support. Instinctively she pressed herself closer to him, her hands rising from his waistcoat to wrap themselves around his neck and finger the ends of his hair.

Darcy was lost. He was completely and utterly powerless. Surrendering to his emotions he let his hands slip from her curls to caress her neck, then her shoulders, then briefly leaving her in order to wrap themselves around her waist. Only when they began to finger the last fastener of her dress, did he recollect his surroundings.

Reluctantly he withdrew his hands and then his mouth. When Elizabeth had recovered as well, he put his arm around her and they began their walk once more. "My love," he began in the same reverent tone, "tell me that you will not let us wait long for our wedding?"

Elizabeth could not help but smile at his address and how he had phrased 'our wedding'. "Well, sir," she began lively, "if you do not mind upsetting my mother, and you can procure the license, we could be married before my family leave for Hertfordshire."

Darcy, seeing the ploy in her eyes, followed suit. Slapping his pockets with his free hand, he exclaimed in a tone of the deepest puzzlement, "now I know put it some where, but where?" He smiled at her. "Seriously, would you mind a wedding in Derbyshire? The license could be procured within the week. Pemberley has its own chapel, and I am sure Reverend Dawson will not mind."

He paused and seeing her hesitate, added, "please do not feel that you have to because of me. As long as we are married, I shall not mind where."

Elizabeth took some time to marvel at the feelings his arm around her produced before replying to his question. "It seems preferable, in comparison to waiting at least three months for my mother to prepare everything. If my father were not here, perhaps I would feel differently, but everyone I could wish to see me married is residing in Lambton right now. It seems too good a opportunity to pass by."

Darcy turned to her with positively joyful eyes. "You do not know what happiness it is to my ears, what you have just said. And with regards to your family, we could always invite them up here. Their arrival would take as long as it probably would to procure a license."

"That is the only thing that bothers me," Elizabeth admitted suddenly. "That you and I shall be apart until you have one."

Darcy bestowed a kiss upon her hand in reply to this and pulled her into a tighter embrace. "Thank you, my love," he uttered tenderly, "it does my heart good to know that you care for me as much as I care for you. I know that letters are not a comfort compared to the person, but I offer them anyway."

"And I thank you for them," Elizabeth replied. "I think I might have need of them."

Darcy would have taken her in his arms and kissed her again after that, had they not reached the edge of the fields and the beginning of Lambton. Reluctantly he withdrew his arm from is resting place around her waist and took her left hand instead, holding it discreetly, so any who happened to pass them noticed not.