AN: This started as part of a longer chapter that was growing into one of the longest I have written with more yet to come as I shut the computer down and headed to bed. The story kept going on in my head and I couldn't settle down to sleep. I suddenly realized this segment needed to stand on its own and got back out of bed and did a little more writing and editing before deciding to go ahead and post it. It is a bit shorter than most of the chapters, but I think you will agree that does not make it any less important. Now that it is done, maybe I can get some sleep ;oD


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Despite the late evening the night before, Darcy woke early with a tingly feeling of hopefulness in his chest. Like his friend Bingley, he had to find time for an important conversation during the day. He had tossed and turned, trying to find the right words, but he was no closer to a plan as the glow of dawn came in through the window.

Knowing an early start might give him his best chance, Darcy hurridly dressed and prepared for the day. A swift peek out the window gave him cause to hope. He spotted Lizzy heading out to the bench in the garden with a full cup of coffee held in one hand. Going as silently as possible, he quickly made his way downstairs.

Bennet was not yet in the breakfast room and only one cup was gone from the sideboard. He took another and poured a cup from the still steaming pot and quickly made his way to the side door. As he stepped outside, he could see that even though Longbourn house lay in the shade of the ridge on the eastward side, the whole sky seemed filled with motes of golden light. Birds called to one another in the trees and hedges. Everything, it seemed, was waking to the new day.

He walked past arrangements of flowers in bloom until he reached the bench where Lizzy sat. She was nursing her coffee, leaning back with her eyes half-closed, but clearly enjoying the beautiful morning. On hearing him approach, she straightened in her seat, looking up and smiling.

"May I join you, Miss Elizabeth?" he asked.

"Please do," she said, sliding over on the bench to give him more room.

They sat together in silence for several minutes, enjoying their drinks and the beauty of the morning before Darcy decided to tackle his subject. He set his nearly empty cup down on the ground below the bench and turned to face Lizzy.

"Miss Elizabeth, as you know, I will be going to stay at Netherfield starting this evening if the Damasks arrived as scheduled today."

She put her cup down on the ground next to his and shifted so they were sitting nearly face to face on the bench. "Yes. I will be sorry to have you leave. Your company has been very pleasant these past few days."

Darcy tried to respond, but stumbled over his first words, "I wanted...I mean...I wondered...you know...oh," he stopped a few seconds in frustration and then his words tumbled out in a rush, "Miss Elizabeth, may I call on you?"

"Why, Mr. Darcy, I expect you shall be here nearly every day with Mr. Bingley once Mary returns."

He shook his head. "No, I mean formally. May I call on you? If you not ready for an official courtship, may I call in an unofficial one?"

This time, she was the one to look flustered and nervous. "Why...yes, Mr. Darcy. Yes, you may."

His smile lit up like the sun that was just topping the trees near the ridge. "And you will...I mean, will you tell me when I may ask for a formal courtship?"

She returned his smile just as brightly, "You may, Mr. Darcy."

"Now?" he asked, not quite believing what he had heard.

She nodded and said softly, "Now."

"Oh!" he said. "Thank you. I...well, perhaps I should actually ask." He took a deep breath, could not find the words, then took another before he succeeded. "Miss Elizabeth, will you enter into a formal courtship with me?"

"Yes," she said quietly, nodding and still smiling shyly.

He let out a deep breath and slumped against the back of the bench. "Do you have any idea how difficult that was?" he asked, almost to himself.

Lizzy giggled softly. "What happened to the strong, confident man who threw Mr. Wickham in the rose bush?" she asked.

"I have no idea," he replied, starting to laugh.

"Am I really that frightening?" she asked.

"It had nothing to do with you being frightening," he explained. "It was just that my entire future life was riding on your answers. And I have not even asked you the biggest question of all."

"Tell me what you see in the future," she requested.

He sat up and turned back to look at her. "I see mornings like this, waking up early at Pemberley and enjoying our coffee as we sit in the garden or on one of the balconies overlooking the grounds. Then we head inside for breakfast together before you go your way to meet with the housekeeper to manage the household or go visit with the tenants or shop in Lambton with Georgiana and I head off to manage the estate. We would meet back up by teatime and perhaps play some chess or read in the library, or just discuss the challenges of the day. In the evenings we might entertain the neighbors, go out to an assembly or just have a quiet dinner with my sister. Then, I think we would often sit on the balcony outside our chambers and watch the sun set before heading back in to spend the night happily together." He paused and then added, "Honestly, Miss Elizabeth, despite all the turmoil and troubles of the last few days, being here with you, living in the same house - well, it has been nothing short of perfect and I want that kind of feeling to carry through all our days."

She had listened quietly as he explained his thoughts. When he fell silent again, she said very quietly, "Ask."

"Ask what?"

"The biggest question. Gather your courage and ask for your future."

Darcy stared at her wide-eyed for a moment. Lizzy waited. Suddenly, he seemed to realize exactly what she meant and he slipped from the bench onto his knees before her. She offered him her hands and held them in his own, looking up into her eyes.

"Miss Elizabeth, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?" he asked so softly she almost could not hear him, although she did not need to hear him to know what words he said.

"Yes." she answered. "Yes, Mr. Darcy, I will."

He drew her hands to his lips and tenderly kissed the back of each one before resting his forehead atop them. She felt him breathing raggedly as he tried to control his emotions.

"Thank you," he finally said, raising his head and looking back up at her. "I will do my best to make you happy, as happy as you have made me and more. Thank you."

She drew their clasped hands up towards her, pulling him closer as she leaned down until their lips met in a sweet first kiss. Darcy leaned forward to deepen the kiss, when they heard a voice from one of the windows of the house that caused them to jump apart in surprise.

"I think that is enough for now," they heard Bennet say. Darcy quickly pulled back and let go of Lizzy's hands as Bennet continued. "No need to scandalize the household. I expect you have something to say to me now as well, Mr. Darcy, although no kneeling is necessary. I think it is probably time you both came inside and had some breakfast."

"Yes, Mr. Bennet," Darcy said, exhaling loudly in something between a sigh and frustration immediately afterwards

He got to his feet and looked shyly at Lizzy. She was blushing. He offered her his hand to help her rise. Before taking it, she reached under the bench for their cups.

"Mrs. Hill is never pleased when we leave dishes outside," she said, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Mrs. Reynolds, our housekeeper at Pemberley, is not very pleased about that sort of thing either," he said, trying to get over the awkwardness of the interruption.

"I wonder how long he was watching?" she asked.

"I doubt he would tell us if we asked," he replied. "He does love to tease, after all. Of course, if I knew we had an audience, my courage probably would have failed me entirely."

"Do you have courage enough to tell my mother?" she asked.

"I am so pleased at your response that I can find the courage if I must."

"I am not certain I can," she said. "Perhaps we can wait until Mary arrives and then we will give her the news all at once and get it over with."

"So long as you do not rescind your acceptance, I am fine with waiting until your sister comes to tell your mother. That is, if she was not also watching us from a window."

"Oh, we would have heard it if she were," Lizzy assured him with a slight chuckle. "Everyone would have heard her."

"Hmm. I suppose you are correct," Darcy said as he reached to open the side door so they could go inside.

"Wait," she said and stepped close to him. She stood on tiptoe and he leaned down so they could share one more tender kiss, this one unobserved.

As they parted and he opened the door, she said, "Living in the same house with you these past few days, getting to know who you really are and sharing in the events and plans we have all made together - it has felt just right to me as well. I look forward to the future you envision and all the many things we do not yet know that will surely come to pass." They stepped inside and closed the door. Quickly, as if afraid of another interruption, they shared another kiss before heading to the breakfast room.

Bennet reached the room just before they did. "Good morning," he said pleasantly as they entered. "So tell me, is it courtship or marriage?"

"Marriage, sir," Darcy answered, "but we wish to wait for the announcement until after Miss Mary returns. Assuming we have your blessing and you will agree to that plan."

Looking closely at Lizzy, Bennet guessed, "Hoping to experience just one bout of Mrs. Bennet's joy?"

"Yes, Papa," Lizzy answered. "You know the noise will be intolerable for days if we start her at it now."

Bennet slowly nodded. "Yes, what you say has merit. Very well. We shall keep it a secret engagement for now and wait to reveal it along with Mary's secret courtship when she arrives."

Lizzy kissed her father on the cheek. "Thank you, Papa," she said.

"Yes, thank you, sir," Darcy added.

"Well, well. That is enough excitement for now, I suppose. Shall we have some breakfast before some other monumental event befalls us?" Bennet asked, heading to the sideboard where the hot food awaited them.

"Then we have your blessing?" Darcy asked, wanting to be sure on what footing he stood.

Bennet turned back from the food to look carefully at the hopeful couple. "Well...I do not know," he said, pausing for effect. "Yes, you have my blessing," he finally finished with a smile. "Now, eat. You will need to be fortified for a day of secrecy."

With smiles they could not contain, Darcy and Lizzy joined him at the sideboard. Soon all three were enjoying their breakfast.