Author's Note:

Hi, guys! Thank you so much for your comments! I'm so happy you are enjoying this story so far! To reply to your question, I am "running out of time" because of my self-imposed deadline (Halloween). I don't really need to keep it, but it was like a challenge to myself and I'm determined to make it! This chapter is longer, so I'll post again tomorrow. Here's more of Darcy and Lizzy's courtship!

Stay safe!

Jen

"Mrs. Reynolds, I hope you do not plan to play matchmaker."

"Of course not! I would never dream to intervene! But I can certainly hope and make Pemberley as beautiful as possible for our master."

"Well, I agree with you on that."

"Oh, I have been so worried about Master Fitzwilliam." Her address and the emotion in her voice showed the sincerity of her words. "But it shall be all right now, I simply know it! And how wonderful it will be to have children at Pemberley again! An heir!"

"My dear, let us not be too hasty," he warned her and they decided to concentrate on planning the picnic, hoping it would encourage Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet's courtship.

17.

Fortunately, the next morning was a beautiful summer day. Fitzwilliam woke up hopeful and looking forward to seeing Elizabeth again. He took the beauty of the day as a sign that he was on the right path and greeted his sister cheerfully during breakfast. The last details were arranged and soon Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet arrived at Pemberley where they were welcomed most warmly by four enthusiastic Darcys —though they could only see two.

The picnic was set in the beautiful gardens where chairs and blankets had been laid for everyone's comfort. The guests were surprised and impressed, for they had expected a more simple and informal affair and this 'picnic' was more elaborate than any other they had ever taken part of before. There were several pastries, cheesecakes, tea, fruits, cabinet pudding, blancmange, bread, butter, jelly, rolls, cheese and wine.

"Would you prefer sitting on the ground, Miss Bennet, or a chair?" Fitzwilliam asked her.

"Oh, the ground, Mr. Darcy. It is not a picnic if I sit on a chair," she teased him and taking the hand he offered, she sat down.

Everyone was in high spirits and soon they were enjoying the food and conversation. Georgiana spoke with Elizabeth and her brother, asking her new friend if she was willing to play a duet with her the next time she came to dinner. By now, Elizabeth was not surprised that they would be invited again and accepted immediately. Soon, Georgiana smiled at her brother and suddenly remembered that she wished to speak to Mrs. Gardiner about her time in Lambton and left the young couple relatively alone.

Fitzwilliam turned to look at Elizabeth and saw her averting her eyes in discomfort. Clearly, she knew what Georgiana had been about, but he hoped it was only this knowledge what made her uncomfortable and not his own presence. He was determined to ease her embarrassment.

"I have a serious question to ask you, Miss Bennet," he said in the sternest and most severe tone he could muster.

This drew her attention immediately and he saw the look of surprise and determination in her face.

"Yes, Mr. Darcy?"

"You told me, many months ago, that you could not talk of books in a ballroom and I believe it is quite a flaw of yours. Can you discuss them in a garden?"

His mission was successful, for Elizabeth laughed and shook her head.

"A garden might be even a worse place for such a discussion, sir! Are you not tempted by the sights around you?" she asked, her hand pointing at the many beauties in his garden.

"Indeed, I am," he said, staring at her and hoping she would not understand his meaning. "But one can observe and speak at the same time."

Can you? his mind asked, remembering all the times he had been tongue-tied around her.

"Perhaps, and I shall indulge you if that is your wish."

"Not particularly, I merely think we must address this flaw of yours, Miss Bennet," he teased.

Elizabeth chuckled and conceded. "It is only fair, Mr. Darcy."

Mr. Gardiner observed his niece laughing with Mr. Darcy and saw his wife was doing the same. As wonderful as Elizabeth was, they could hardly believe that a man as powerful and wealthy as the master of Pemberley wished to marry their niece, but it could be no doubt about it. Mr. Darcy had not approached him asking for a courtship, but Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner suspected that it had to do with Elizabeth's former opinion of the man. He was clearly wooing her. Had he been any other man in any other situation or with another one of his nieces, he would have confronted him. But Mr. Darcy had an impeccable reputation and was courting Elizabeth quite openly in his own home and not in some faraway land. His intentions were obvious. Elizabeth was a smart woman, brave and bold enough to put him in his place if the need arose, but they realised that she was, if not encouraging, at least allowing his attentions. She did not seem uncomfortable and the more time they spent together, the more Mr. Gardiner thought that Elizabeth's heart was more engaged than she realised.

After they had been conversing for an hour, Mr. Darcy approached him and ask for his permission to escort Miss Bennet to the rose garden. Upon receiving his consent, he watched Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy walk away and hoped his instincts were right.

"This was my mother's favourite place in the world," Fitzwilliam said, guiding her towards the rose garden.

"No wonder!" Elizabeth chuckled. "It is the most beautiful garden I have seen."

"Do you have a favourite flower, Miss Bennet?" he asked, anxious to know everything about her.

"I am very fond of purple flowers, especially lavenders."

"Roses were my mother's favourite," he offered, storing the information about her favourite flower away for the moment. "She used to joke that it was the most obvious option, but that would not stop her from loving them."

"And it should not. Did she have a favourite colour?" she asked, wandering among the beautiful blooms.

He was extremely glad that she had the opportunity of seeing this place in the summer when the flowers were in full bloom and the whole garden was an explosion of colour.

"Yes, she loved white roses the most," he replied to her question.

Mr. Darcy and Lady Anne thought that Fitzwilliam was doing an excellent job in wooing Miss Bennet, but he could certainly use some help. Suddenly, Lady Anne grinned and winked at her husband before plucking a red rose from the bush. She walked behind the couple as she carefully removed the thorns and placed the rose on Fitzwilliam's hand which he was holding behind his back.

Fitzwilliam startled at the feeling and looked behind him. Seeing no one, he tried to disguise his reaction and brought his hand, now holding a rose to his front. For a second, he was shocked and confused, until he realised what it meant and who had given it to him.

"Red roses hold a special meaning," he said out loud. "Do you know what a red rose means, Miss Bennet?"

Love and passion. Of course, she knew.

"Yes," she simply replied.

He handed the rose to her and had to suppress a shudder when their hands touched briefly. The rose now matched the colour of her cheeks as she lowered her eyelashes quite self-consciously.

She had been surprised by Mr Darcy's admiration in April, but if she had suspected that he might still be interested, she could have no doubt now. As amazing as it seemed to her, after everything they had gone through, he was courting her. There was no mistake about that this time.

"Thank you," she finally managed to say as she played with the rose in her hands.

Fitzwilliam could feel his heart pounding in his chest and could only relax when she thanked him for the flower. He had given her the rose almost by instinct, guided by his parents, and a second later had worried that she might be offended by his attentions. He truly did not wish to let his hope run wild, but he noticed that it was only since their reunion that she blushed in such a maidenly fashion. When he had been "courting" her in Kent, she had mostly ignored him or argued with him. He could now see the difference between her playful teasing and her angry retorts and could not help but feel hope against every warning he had made himself. How had he ever confused her animosity for flirting? But was she flirting now?

"You must miss your mother," she said after a while.

He was surprised by the change of topic, for he had been thinking about many things, but not precisely his mother, as dear as she had been to him, and even though she might be walking behind him this minute. His surprise must have shown in his face, for Elizabeth blushed even more.

"Please, forgive me," she said quickly. "That was quite an impertinent question."

"No, not all," he said. He wished to know everything about her and was only encouraged by her own curiosity. "I was only surprised. Yes, I miss her greatly," he told her, hoping his mother was listening to this. "She was the best mother I could have asked for and I adored her. I was only twelve when she died. She used to sit on that bench near the flowers and watch me run among the roses."

Elizabeth chuckled, and the sound, so carefree and lively, sent a feeling of peace and joy all over his body.

Lady Anne, for her part, was so touched and filled with love for her son that she could only feel her husband's hand holding her own.

"What amuses you, Miss Bennet?" Fitzwilliam asked with a smile to show her he was far from being offended. "Was it the picture of me running around or the idea that I was once a child?"

He watched in delight as she laughed again and his heart raced at the knowledge that he had caused that laughter.

"Both, I confess," she replied, tilting her beautiful, laughing face towards him and he had to repress the urge to take those lovely, teasing lips with his. "What type of child were you, Mr. Darcy? Were you calm and unproblematic or did you give your poor parents many headaches with your mischief?"

"The first type, of course," he said with a mischievous smile. "But I am afraid you would have no way to be sure since there are no witnesses."

"I could ask Mrs. Reynolds."

"Oh, no, she will tell you I was an angel. She is a faithful and loyal servant."

"Well, then, if I ever see Colonel Fitzwilliam again, I shall endeavour to ask him. I am sure he will be delighted to tell me."

"You cannot possibly listen to the colonel! For one, he will tell you every mischief I ever did, and he will be able to do so because he was there each time. He was a terrible influence on me."

Elizabeth laughed. "No! I cannot believe it! The good colonel?"

He felt a twinge of jealousy at her implicit approval of his cousin, especially when he remembered how much they had enjoyed each other's company. But he did his best not to let it show.

"You must confess then, what was the worst mischief you have ever done?" She added.

He sighed dramatically. "I was trying to make a good impression, but you shall hear the worst of it if that is your wish. Are you sure, Miss Bennet?"

"Oh, yes! I shall not be intimidated! Let me hear your worst, sir!"

"Very well. Do you see the stream from here? There are plenty of frogs there and Richard and I enjoyed trying to catch them. One glorious day, each one of us caught one, and with our short trousers and arms covered in mud, we ran inside to show our success to our parents, quite proudly, I might add. We trailed mud all over the entrance, the parlour and the drawing-room while we were looking for them and poor Mrs. Reynolds almost faints that day. We were thoroughly scolded."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Is that your worse, sir? Indeed, you must have been a good child, for that was a normal day at Longbourn with five energetic girls!"

"That was not the most shocking part, Miss Bennet. You must not be anxious."

"The story continues, sir?"

"Oh, yes. I realise now that as an only child who was very privileged and very much adored by his parents, I was quite spoilt. I was not used to being scolded, and you see, I did not appreciate it."

"Oh, no! What did you do?" She asked, intrigued.

"I packed my favourite book and my wooden horse, stole a few scones from the kitchen and saddled my pony, determined to run away," he told her and enjoyed the look of interest and amusement in her face. "Of course, many servants saw me and informed my father."

He found it adorable when she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"I had almost forgotten that!" Mr. Darcy chuckled as he enjoyed his son's retelling as much as Elizabeth did.

"Was your father very angry?" Elizabeth asked.

"I think he was greatly amused by my first act of true impertinence. He found me at the stables and dismissed the grooms before he saddled his own horse and said he would escort me to my new home, wherever I decided that would be. We rode for some time and when I found that I disliked the idea of sleeping in the woods, he offered to allow me to stay at Pemberley until I found a suitable home for me, so we returned home."

Elizabeth was laughing heartily now. "I assume you never found a suitable home."

"I suppose I grew fond of Pemberley," he smiled at her. "But you never know, I might still leave."

"Oh, I would not, if I were you! Who would leave such a beautiful place?" she asked and blushed as she realised what she had said and how it could be taken.

But Fitzwilliam was delighted! He argued with himself that it did not mean anything but could not help but feel excited that she would like to live here! Maybe not with you, his mind warned him to be cautious.

"What about you, Miss Bennet?" he asked in order to ease her discomfort. "I have the feeling that you were a problematic child while growing up."

Elizabeth gasped in fake astonishment. "Sir! Whyever would you think so? I was a truly angelic child, never causing any trouble to my parents or getting into mischief."

"I do not believe you," he chuckled. "I bet that you climbed trees and jumped over puddles, much to poor Mrs. Bennet's chagrin."

Elizabeth was now truly astonished that he was so close to the truth and she could not hide her surprise.

"Considering the expression in your face, I see that I am right," he added, triumphantly.

"It was mere luck!" she argued.

"As you say, Madam," he bowed gallantly with a look of amusement on his face.

"I shall only tell you that I did not have your problem of being unused to being scolded. I was perfectly accustomed to it."

He laughed at such disclosure and asked:

"May I ask you an impertinent question, Miss Bennet?"

"They are my favourite kind of questions to make, sir. You may, but I reserve the right to not respond."

"Fair enough. Can you claim not to indulge in such behaviour now that you are a lady?"

She tried to look shocked and offended but her mirth could be seen in her eyes and her smiling lips.

"That is an impertinent question! As a lady, I cannot claim that I do."

"Very diplomatic, Miss Bennet. You are not saying you do not, only that you cannot say that you do."

"That is all you shall hear from me, sir."

"That is quite a pity for I would show you the best trees to climb and the best fields to run here at Pemberley."

He saw the glint in her eyes and had to restrain himself again so as not to take her into his arms.

"Oh, well. That would not be useful information for a lady such as myself, Mr. Darcy, but I am willing to hear it."

He laughed freely and offered his arm for her to take.

"As I once said, I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours. You are welcome to run around Pemberley as much as you wish, Miss Bennet."

For the rest of your life, he added in his mind.

"You would not be scandalised by such a sight, sir?"

"Not at all. I would delight in it," he said and saw the colour rise to her cheeks and wished to kiss them and feel their warmth underneath his lips. "Miss Bennet, there shall be an assembly in Lambton two days from now. It shall be an informal affair and most people there shall be landowners from the area. I confess it has been many years since I have attended one, but I know how much you enjoy dancing and meeting new people."

"I certainly do, Mr. Darcy, but being only a visitor, I have not been invited."

"But I have, and I would be delighted to escort you and your relatives if you wish it."

"I thought you disliked assemblies, and dancing, and meeting new people," she smiled and arched her brow.

He chuckled. "I sound like an ogre when you put it like that, but it shall be my pleasure to escort you."

"I have to ask my aunt and uncle, but I would like to go."

"Lizzy! Oh, there you are, my dear," Mrs. Gardiner said as she spotted the young couple. "Are you ready to go, Lizzy?"

"Yes, Aunt," she replied, reluctantly and was immediately surprised by the feeling of regret in her chest.

She wished to remain here with Mr. Darcy. What could that possibly mean?

"They are beautiful roses, are they not, my dear?" her uncle asked as he gazed at the red rose in her hand.

"Oh, yes. They are beautiful," she said, knowing her uncle must know that Mr. Darcy had given the rose to her.

Mr. Gardiner, however, did not comment on this and only urged his niece to say goodbye.

When Elizabeth retired that night she tried to understand the feeling of regret she had felt when she had to say goodbye to Mr. Darcy. She threw a retrospective glance over the whole of their acquaintance, so full of contradictions and varieties, and could not believe that the Mr. Darcy she had met in Hertfordshire was the same man who now resided at Pemberley.

Who is this man? she kept asking herself. She remembered thinking, after her father had shown her the letter, that although she regretted the way she had spoken to him, she did not regret refusing his offer, for she could not be happy with a serious and aloof man who would disdain her dear aunt and uncle and who could not laugh and tease. Now all of her barriers were falling down. This Mr. Darcy was not serious and aloof. He did not disdain her relatives. He teased her and made her laugh.

She began to comprehend now that he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would answer all her wishes. It was a union that could be to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might be softened, his manners improved; and from his judgement, information, and knowledge of the world, she could receive benefit of greater importance.

Now, as she sat in bed, twirling the rose in her hand, she felt a flutter in her stomach that she could not describe and when she remembered his upturned and smiling face bathed in the sunlight, she realised that she could love him. She might already love him and this discovery both shocked and excited her.

She knew there were many things about Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy that she did not understand and the last few days, she had been wary of drawing conclusions after she had been so wrong about him. Therefore, she had ignored many signs. Today, however, the red rose could not be misinterpreted. He was courting her and the only reason for him to do so was... Dear Lord! He still loves me! How was it even possible after the way she had treated him? Why did he love her when he could have any woman he wanted? Why would he wish to marry the only woman who had treated him so ill?

Her emerging feelings made her realise that, somehow, she had been afforded a second chance with this man and was determined to take advantage of it. So far she had accepted his attentions, but she now would have to find a way to encourage them.

I do not own any Pride and Prejudice properties, nor do I make any money from the writing of this story.

Characters and situations, created by Jane Austen, are taken from Pride and Prejudice and from the Pride and Prejudice (1995) adaptation created by Simon Langton and distributed by BBC.

This story is released under the GPL/CC BY: verbatim copying and distribution of this entire work are permitted worldwide, without royalty, in any medium, provided attribution is preserved.