When did you first know that you loved me?

Darcy asks his wife that fateful question, but when she answers with a tease, he is hurt. So Elizabeth takes her beloved husband on a walk and explains why her answer was both true and demonstrative of her deep love for him.

Pemberley, July, 1813

Often, when others heard Elizabeth Darcy teasing her husband so freely, they would be shocked and worried about how the great man would react. What they didn't know and would often only learn from careful observation was that Fitzwilliam Darcy loved being teased by his wife. Her eyes always sparkled when she teased, making him proud to be the one who garnered her wit and her gentle humor.

There were moments, however, where his past insecurities or her natural bent towards sarcasm went just a little too far and her words would hurt. One such instance her answer to his question caused him great pain and no little insecurity. Thankfully Elizabeth understood his expressions now, so she acted quickly to remedy the situation while showing that her teasing answer was still true, and that it only showed how much he had come to mean to her.

It happened like this: After an early night spent doing what most newly married couples often do together, they lay contentedly together, Elizabeth's dark head of hair draped across his broad chest, her ear to his skin, reveling in the sound of his heartbeat. She had never imagined that any man could be so very dear to her.

Darcy, lost in his own thoughts, was playing with that soft hair when he quietly said, "Elizabeth?"

His wife did not move from her happy spot, only mumbling, "Yes, my love?"

"When did you first know that you loved me?"

Elizabeth continued as she was and teasingly answered, "Why, I think that it was the first time I saw your house and grounds here at Pemberley."

Had she been more awake, she might have noticed the alteration in Darcy's body, but she was drifting off to sleep. When she woke the next morning, Elizabeth was alone in bed. This did not happen very often, since they both usually rose early. They often made love before rising to breakfast and their individual duties. When her husband did need to get up very early, he always let her know. Still, she didn't feel any disquiet at first.

When Elizabeth went down to breakfast, however, she felt an unusual coolness from her husband. And when she tried to speak on their plans for the day, as they usually did in the morning, his answers were short and stiff. Something was definitely wrong, but when she tried to ask, Darcy left quickly and stayed away for the rest of the morning.

It was only after some time pondering that she remembered his question and her flippant answer. Oh dear! I was teasing, but I fear that he took my words in the wrong way! I need to fix this right away! He was pursued for so long for nothing more than his name, properties, wealth, and connections. It must be a sensitive area for him, and I had to turn it into a foolish jest!

When Darcy came to lunch and went straight to his office rather than seeking out his wife, he was shocked to find her there waiting for him. "What is wrong, Elizabeth?"

"That is a good question, but not one we'll attack right away. I require an hour or more of your time."

Darcy stiffly answered, "Can it not wait?"

"No, I am afraid that it can't. You see, we made a promise that we would always try to fix problems before they grew out of hand. Now I require you to live up to that promise, just as I intend to."

"I am not quite ready to talk right now."

Elizabeth walked to the door, opened it, and gestured for him to step out, "That is okay because I will be doing the talking for now, since I am the cause of the problem. All that I ask is that you open your heart, listen, and remember that you love me."

With words like that, Darcy had little choice but to follow. He was confused when she took him to the portcullis entryway but did not retrieve her outdoor wear. Instead she turned to look at him. "On the day that I first stepped into this house, I was expecting something gaudy like what I found at Rosings. Imagine my surprise when I beheld such clean, elegant decorations without any great ostentation. I will admit that I was still so fixated on my false ideas of you that I felt more confused than pleased. Mrs. Reynolds met us at the door and she was dressed well, but without all of the ridiculous ornamentation which Lady Catherine subjects her servants to. She was also very kind, friendly, and open... not what one might expect if her master was a martinet."

Despite himself, Darcy was interested in his wife's monologue. When she turned to continue on into the house, he followed without protest. She spoke of her impressions and how they kept conflicting with her determined sketch of himself. When they reached the music room, Elizabeth laid a soft touch on the piano, "When Mrs. Reynolds told us of how you had only recently purchased this and how you would do anything in your power to make your sister happy, I found myself wishing that I had been blessed with a brother like you. Not because of what you gave, but because of how you loved. I think that it was that very moment when my determined picture began to crumble."

Her eyes looked up and met his and she gently said, "I could not help but remember your letter and imagine how horribly it must have hurt you to see your sister in pain, even if it was only a pain of the heart. I could not help but wonder if that wasn't at least a large part of the reason you seemed so distant and unfriendly in Meryton. Instead of denying the truth, I suddenly wanted to think better of you."

She led them to the smoking room, the room just outside of his study where the men could visit, smoke, and drink. There was a glass-topped table which held miniatures of the family. "It is no longer there, thank goodness. My aunt was the first to notice the miniature of George Wickham. She pointed it out and Mrs. Reynolds told us how he had grown 'quite wild'. She would say no more on the subject and my aunt was confused. I felt guilty for not having informed her of the truth. I honestly did not know how to do so without explaining how I learned the information."

She looked at the library, but shook her head, "It is most likely just as well that the library was not included in the tour or I might never have left it." She turned instead towards the where her own office was... the same space which used to belong to Darcy's mother. Elizabeth went to the writing desk, but did not sit,

"When I entered this room, it spoke to me. As you must have noticed, I have changed little in this room. I probably never will. Though our tastes are slightly different, the way that your mother decorated this office just made sense. I knew, without knowing her, that she was a sensible woman and …" Elizabeth gestured to the portrait of Fitzwilliam as a boy, with a dog beside him, "I knew how much she must have cared for you..." There was moisture in her eyes as she added, "Knowing that she died when you were so young made me want to hold that young boy. I desperately wanted to wrap him in my arms and tell him that everything would be well and that he would grow up to be a fine, handsome young man..."

Neither of them was without strong emotions as Elizabeth led him out of the room and to the stairs. They were most of the way up when she stopped, "I think that it was just about at this spot. We were walking up the stairs and your housekeeper was telling us of how kind and good your were to everyone. It made me wonder, given my own experiences with you in Meryton. But as we continued I began to question my own interpretations. The truth was that I had only ever seen you treat the servants and tenants with respect. Your censure seemed to be reserved for my family alone."

Darcy flinched, but he was honest enough with himself to realize that his actions must have communicated exactly that message. He was about to apologize when he realized that Elizabeth had already moved on. He followed her as she spoke of different rooms and impressions until she stopped in front of his own image in the long hall dedicated to the family's portraits.

Elizabeth spoke softly, almost reverently, "Having had my previous images of you shattered one after another, I stood before this painting and all that I could think was how much I wanted to see the original. It forced me to remember that first night, Fitzwilliam. When you first stepped into the room all that I could see was your handsomeness. Until that moment I had never felt so drawn to a man. Then, you seemed so disparaging of all around you that I began to feel frustrated, then angry. Looking back as I stood in this spot, I realized that I wanted to relive that day, to make you see my friends and neighbors. To make you see that they were good people deserving of respect. But the other thing that I realized while standing here is that your good opinion was very important to me. Until then, I was not ready to admit how much I longed for your good opinion."

She continued to speak without looking at him and Darcy felt all of the weight of how he must have hurt her with his actions, "And I finally understood why I took your words about me so much to heart. It was because that first night I wanted your good opinion. I held on to your hurtful words because they mattered to me."

"Oh, my dearest Elizabeth..." Elizabeth let him hug her from behind for a few minutes, but she was determined to finish her presentation. "Come, there is more to show you."

"Is it necessary? I begin to think that I understand what you meant and I am sorry for taking your tease so poorly."

Elizabeth turned, reached up, and touched his handsome face, "Bear with me, my love. It is important, I promise."

She led him back down the stairs and back to the entryway, this time donning her outdoor wear. Then she led her husband out to the gardens. "The rest is both embarrassing and telling, my dear husband. It was about this spot where I saw my first image of you with a little girl as she dragged you to show you her favorite flowers. She was a tiny little thing and I am no longer ashamed to say that she had my hair and my face as a child. In my mind, I thought that you would never be the type of father who would ignore his own child. Given what I knew about your care for your sister... I thought that you would make a fine father indeed."

She led him toward the pond that they both remembered. Darcy looked both amused and embarrassed. "I was standing in this very spot, imagining you sitting at the waters edge with a little boy with hair just like yours and similar in form. You were fishing together. Like all little boys, he worshiped his father and thought that there could be no better man in the world. I had to agree."

Elizabeth looked up at her dear husband with adoration, "All of this took place before Adonis stepped out of the pond and shook all of my maidenly sensibilities. Now that I am married and much more knowledgeable, I will admit that it took an almost iron determination not to drink you in, all wet and with your clothing clinging so interestingly to your form." There was heat in both of their eyes and Darcy moved forward to embrace his beloved wife, but she forestalled him with a slender hand. "I am almost finished, Sir. Please do not interrupt."

Darcy growled teasingly, "You are driving me insane, wife."

"The feeling is mutual and we shall take the time to address the matter soon, but first I wish to close my explanation and demonstration. Patience will have its rewards, dear sir."

"Very well. Proceed."

"I was most especially reminded of that day very recently, my love. As a matter of fact, I stood on this very spot just yesterday morning and wondered which of my two visions would come to fruition first."

When she paused meaningfully, Darcy finally prompted, "I do not understand?"

Elizabeth smiled, "I wondered if it would be you with the little girl or you with the little boy. Both are pleasant images, and both are equally appealing... wouldn't you say?"

Darcy had never made any secret that he longed to have a house filled with Elizabeth's children, so he answered slowly, "I would agree... but I am uncertain of what you mean for me to understand."

Elizabeth took her husband's large hand with a slender hand of her own, "Only this: when you asked me when I first knew that I loved you, I was not actually meaning to be flippant. Because it was on this very spot when I realized that I wanted to be the one who gave you those children, Mr. Darcy. And at the time I thought that I had thrown away any chance for that to happen. But the fates smiled on us and brought us together, despite ourselves... and now I am happy to report that we will soon fulfill at least one part of that dream."

"Elizabeth?" Darcy asked, his heart racing. "Please do not tease in this matter. Are you saying...?"

Elizabeth stepped closer and put the large hand she had been holding against her abdomen, "Yes, my dearest, handsomest Fitzwilliam. That is what I am saying. The doctors tells me that it will be in about seven and a half months."

Darcy had her in his arms in a moment and was spinning them both around in joy. Then he almost dropped her in his haste to set her down as he apologized in worry. Elizabeth only laughed and reassured him that all was well.

In the course of time, Elizabeth fulfilled both dreams at once when she delivered twins into the world: one boy and one girl.