For my American friends, happy July 4th! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. And I hope all of my friends enjoy this chapter! Please leave a note and tell me what you think!

From that point on there was no question of the gentlemen calling every day. They generally came in the early afternoon and often stayed until after dinner, but they were so charming and agreeable, so willing to please, that their presence was a pleasure and not a burden. Mr. Gardiner would no longer allow Elizabeth to be on the streets by herself, so she was not able to return to the vendor that carried the flowers her aunt loved so much. But on the second day after the riot Darcy brought Mrs. Gardiner an extravagant arrangement of the characteristic blooms.

"Why, Mr. Darcy! To what do I owe this honor?" Mrs. Gardiner said, admiring the bouquet when he presented it.

"Elizabeth told me how much you enjoy having flowers on the table at dinner, and she described the vendor who normally supplies them. I decided to take it upon myself to carry out what Elizabeth can no longer do and bring them to you myself."

"How very considerate!" Mrs. Gardiner buried her face into the irises she adored and inhaled deeply. "Let me go find a vase to put them in." She moved away, leaving the two others in the entryway.

"The poor lady is safe, then!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "The mob did not touch her?"

"She is well and safe, and she recognized you at once from my description. She asked to be remembered to you fondly, and thanked you for your past kindness to her."

"I do not remember her having any ability to speak English," Elizabeth said archly, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Darcy did not flinch. "I may not have interpreted everything she said correctly, but I am certain those were her sentiments."

"You need not pretend with me anymore, Mr. Darcy. Why do you not admit that you speak French quite as well as I do? What is the purpose of this subterfuge?"

"Sometimes it is useful to pretend ignorance. It gives me the upper hand in my business dealings."

"And sometimes it makes me feel that you are hiding something! When should I doubt you, and when ought I to trust you completely?"

Darcy checked to see if Mrs. Gardiner was in sight, then stepped closer to Elizabeth. He dropped his voice so that only she could hear. "The one thing you must never doubt is my feelings for you."

Elizabeth flushed. The feelings Darcy spoke of were written on his face, plain to see. "You move quickly. I have only just accepted you as a friend, and now you want even more."

"You are mistaken. I have never thought of you as just a friend."

Through the memorable weeks that followed Elizabeth spent a good deal of her waking hours with Darcy. Because of the riot her uncle would not allow her to go walking in the park by herself any more. But he did permit the four of them, Jane and Elizabeth and Bingley and Darcy, to go on outings together, so long as they did not go too far from the house and stayed in each other's sight. And social activities like dinners, plays and assemblies were still taking place. She went to nearly all of them with Darcy at her side.

It was a new thing, having a suitor who devoted himself to her so unswervingly. Men had flattered her before. They had praised and flirted and sometimes even hinted at having more serious intentions towards her. But then they had turned and directed those same attentions to other women, making her doubt whether any man would ever express sincere feelings towards her. Darcy, with his patient presence and steady attention, gave every impression of a man determinedly in love.

She had never been in love before, and she was not sure she would recognize the sentiment if it came upon her now. But she was willing to allow Darcy to press his case. She must marry someday, and if Darcy was determined to be her husband, she thought pragmatically, she might as well enjoy his efforts to win her approval. No doubt her mother would have urged her to take Darcy at once, before he had a chance to change his mind. But Elizabeth did not want to be swayed by Darcy's wealth, nor by his connection to a noble family. She wanted nothing less than a true love match, and to be convinced that her prospects of happiness would be greater with Darcy than with anyone else.

Her resolve was strengthened when she went to a small dinner hosted by Sir William to celebrate Charlotte's engagement. It was plain to see, as they all sat together at the table, that Charlotte did not have the glow of a woman newly in love. She was content but not delighted, satisfied but not overjoyed. She would have a home of her own to manage, which must be a pleasant thing, and perhaps she would even have children one day. But would that be enough? Marriage was such a permanent thing. Would Charlotte ever look back with regret on the day she entered a union without affection? She, Elizabeth, was not willing to take such a risk, not when so much depended on it.

After dinner, when the ladies and gentlemen all came together, she was pleased and surprised to be singled out for conversation by Monsieur Corbin himself. "Miss Bennet, my dear Charlotte has asked me to speak to you." He nodded to the chair across the room where Charlotte sat surrounded by her family. "She wanted me to especially invite you and your sister, and your aunt and uncle of course, to call on us after we are married. Indeed, she is determined that you should be the very first to see her in her new home."

"Will you live in Paris, then?"

"We have not yet decided. Perhaps we will divide our time between Paris and London."

"You flatter us, sir. Jane and I will both be delighted to accept your invitation wherever you may be. Charlotte is my dearest friend, you know."

"As she has told me. She wants to be sure that your friendship will continue unabated even as she takes up her duties as a married woman. She would be quite uneasy if anything were to interrupt that."

"Our friendship will remain the same, to be sure," Elizabeth said warmly. "And I am glad that Charlotte is marrying someone who is so concerned for her feelings. Though as her friend, I must also say that I think that the gentleman who recognizes her worth and gives her a home of her own will be the most fortunate of men."

Corbin acknowledged the compliment with a slight bow of his head and a smile. "I have been aware of my dear Charlotte's worth for some time, and I am honored that she saw fit to accept me despite my obvious shortcomings." He saw Elizabeth's look of surprise. "Please, Miss Bennet, I am not too proud to admit it. Many younger women would not look with favor on a man nearly twice their age. I was already married once, and my family insisted that I marry again. But I had to be cautious. I am not a young man, and it is important that my wife be able to manage my estate and, I hope, my children even after I am gone. She may have responsibilities that even I cannot foresee. Almost as soon as I met Miss Lucas, she impressed me with her practical nature and strong sense of loyalty to her family. There is no other woman, in my opinion, who could fill the role of my wife as well as she."

This was not the most romantic assessment in the world, but Elizabeth was still glad to hear it. Corbin apparently already held his future wife in some regard. Moreover, just as he finished his little speech he looked across the room at Charlotte, who happened to look back at him at the same time. She flushed and glanced away almost immediately, but Elizabeth noticed that Corbin maintained his steady gaze, and the look on his face was not one of disapproval. Besides this, knowing Charlotte as she did, Elizabeth could see what less interested observers might not, that Charlotte's cheeks were flushed becomingly. And when Corbin excused himself a few minutes later to sit with his fiance, Charlotte was not at all averse to his presence.

She told Darcy about her observations the next day, as they walked together behind Jane and Bingley in the park. The couples were within sight of one another, following Gardiner's request, but they were far enough apart for separate conversation. "I was under the impression that Monsieur Corbin offered for Charlotte simply because he felt obligated to marry again, but now I think I may have been wrong. There may be a real attraction there after all, which could only be a fortunate development for my friend."

"I would think there must be some kind of attraction, perhaps even a genuine attachment. Corbin could have offered for anyone, but he chose her above all others. He had to have a reason."

"It was such an arranged thing, though! They hardly spent any time together before he asked for her hand."

"Undoubtedly they have been together more since being engaged," Darcy said. "Therefore it is not surprising that they would start to have feelings for each other, knowing that they will soon be united as man and wife. Certainly it is in their best interest to learn to get along."

"Learning to get along is hardly the same as falling in love, and it is utterly unromantic."

There would be no such difficulty with Jane and Bingley, she thought as she watched them from behind. Even now the sympathy between them was apparent in the way he inclined his head toward hers, and the way they walked, slowly, and closer than was at all necessary. Their very steps were in time with each other. Indeed, they behaved so naturally together that one could be forgiven for thinking they already had an understanding. There was a joyful, unspoken assumption in the Gardiner household that Jane and Bingley would not be long in following Miss Lucas and Monsieur Corbin to the altar.

Darcy was speaking again. "My own mother and father were in a similar situation to Miss Lucas and Monsieur Corbin. They were brought together by their families and agreed to marry out of a sense of obligation. But after living together as husband and wife and coming to know each other better, other feelings took over. It took some time, but love, real love, did develop between them."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I know it is possible, but how exceedingly awkward, to marry first and then, hopefully, fall in love afterwards! What a chance to take!"

"I agree." Darcy lowered his voice. "How much better to fall in love first, and then be joyfully united with the object of your affection! It must be infinitely sweeter to start life together with the strongest possible foundation." He gave her a serious look.

Elizabeth was silent. They were treading dangerous waters, when she had told herself that she was not sure if she was in love with the man at her side. How had they veered into such a perilous conversation? Yet how appealing Darcy was when he spoke of love, and how very much she wanted to answer him in kind! She felt that it would not take much encouragement for her to make a rash decision now, one that she might come to regret later. She must be certain, absolutely certain, before taking such an irrevocable step. "Look, Jane and Bingley are nearly out of sight. They are likely to leave us behind, if we let them stay so far ahead! We ought to catch up."

It was true. Jane and Bingley had entered a little cove of trees and, with just a few more steps, disappeared from view, swallowed into the shadows. Elizabeth quickened her pace, partly because, ever since the riot, she had been more careful to follow her uncle's admonitions. But more importantly she wanted to gain some distance from the uncomfortable conversation and the conflicting emotions in her own heart. Darcy adjusted his steps to hers readily enough, but she thought she sensed a trace of disappointment on his part.

They were only perhaps a minute behind Jane and Bingley when they too entered the area shadowed by the trees. Immediately their vision failed; the shift from light to dark required a moment or two for adjustment. But as her vision returned Elizabeth was astonished to see Jane and Bingley just a few feet away, stepping hastily away from each other. They were backing away from what must have been an embrace, their cheeks flushed with embarrassment. It was obvious from their pleased yet self conscious expressions that they had been caught in a tender moment. Yet they were not ashamed. Instead Jane glanced at Elizabeth with a shy smile, then at Bingley, then back at Elizabeth. She extended her hands out to her sister and exclaimed, "Oh Lizzy! I am the happiest woman on earth!"

There was no mistaking Jane's meaning. Elizabeth stepped forward and embraced Jane wholeheartedly, expressing her joy and satisfaction. Beside her Darcy was shaking Bingley's hand and extending his own best wishes. "I knew you would find just the right moment to ask your question, and I had no doubt what her answer would be. Congratulations old chap!" Elizabeth then embraced Bingley also, welcoming him as her future brother.

"Let me go to your uncle right away," Bingley said to Jane. "Will he be able to give me permission on behalf of your family?"

"My family's consent is the last thing you need to worry about!" Elizabeth could not help saying, laughingly, with tears of joy in her eyes. "Mama will call for her smelling salts once she hears the news, and if you are not careful she will insist you be married by special license!"

"Oh, but I do not want to be married from Longbourn!" Jane exclaimed. "Paris has been our home for so long now, and it is the city where I met my dear Charles. I want to be married here if I have my choice."

"I don't care where we are married, as long as it happens soon!" Bingley responded in his usual exuberant way. "Let us go to your uncle now. If he can give consent on your father's behalf we can plan to wed as soon as you think you can be ready!"

By common consent all four turned back towards the Gardiner home, speaking joyfully amongst themselves as they went. Bingley spent the time insisting that he was not worthy of Jane's hand and expressing his surprise that he had found the woman to share his life with in Paris, of all places, while Jane praised Bingley's modesty, good sense, and easy nature. Both were so caught up in the heights of happiness that they required no response from their companions.

Elizabeth had little to add, though she smiled and laughed at what she hoped were the right times. She was keenly aware of Darcy's hopeful expression as he walked beside her. This new development brought more pressure to their relationship. Bingley's engagement to her sister would likely bring her together with Darcy more than ever, if that was possible, and Darcy would probably be more desirous of an understanding with her in the wake of his friend's situation. She could not put him off forever. She would have to make her decision soon.

So there you have it! Thank you in advance for your comments and reviews. I cherish every word! Hope to see you all again here in three weeks! -Elaine