A/N: Well, ladies and gents, the last chapter is the climax of the story. ODC is finally together! I will post the last 3 chapters as scheduled, and then post the epilogue a week later to let people catch up. Please be forewarned that only the first three chapters will remain after 5/1/2022 as the story will go on Kindle Unlimited, which does not allow the story other than a small sample to be posted anywhere else.
I really appreciate the six lovely comments. Jalesa, your comment made me look up the word "vacuous' myself to make sure that it is not a modern word since it sounds so scientific. It turns out that the word has been in use since the 17th century. I wonder what the concept for a vacuum was in those days. As I have been saying, I am a nerd.
Thank you all for reading. The readers of this story on this site have been the most reticent by far compared to Kindle's and AHA's. Prove me wrong! I need some insights from you for my next story, which I just started but am in dire need of some motivation.
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When the newly acknowledged lovers arrived at Rosings and announced their betrothal, those present could not hide their amazement or incredulity.
Elizabeth turned to Mr. Darcy and said anxiously, "This is a wretched beginning indeed! Even our closest family and friends cannot believe that we are in love!"
Anne interjected, "In love? You are in love? Now that is a different story. I had thought perhaps your dowry might have already hooked your first fortune-hunter!" Anne looked at Mr. Darcy saucily, who was startled by the new boldness and archness of his cousin as much as the accusation. She turned to Elizabeth and continued with a mischievous smile on her face, "I have seen you, Lizzy, gaze dreamily after Darcy, but there is no question that he is a fine specimen of a gentleman." Anne scrutinized Darcy again, who was now giving his betrothed another self-satisfied smile on hearing that Elizabeth was far from indifferent to him, even prior to this morning's revelation.
She turned back to Elizabeth and continued, "I have thought him too serious and dour for you. As for Darcy, I never saw much tenderness from him toward you or anyone else except his own sister until now. And yet he could never be a fortune-hunter; my mother said that he spurned the advances of dukes' daughters, not to mention me, and I am still quite a grand heiress even without a dowry. But as I said, I have not been able to match him with a character in the novels I have read, and so you must excuse me for missing my mark. Moreover, I know nothing about love, and do not care to learn. If you are in love, I am glad that you will be married. But who will help me with Rosings?" Anne ended testily.
Mr. Darcy answered readily, "You should not worry about that, cousin. Once we are married, we shall be able to enter Kent with impunity, even when Lady Catherine regains her memory. You will find Elizabeth and me at Rosings more frequently."
"Well. I hope not," quipped Anne, "not about your coming to Rosings more often, but for mother remembering the past twenty years. I myself would prefer to forget them as well." She turned to both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and added, "I congratulate you and wish you much happiness in your union. Lizzy, Darcy's father replenished my dowry with Pemberley's funds when it was depleted by theft. So those funds will be rightfully returned to Pemberley in the form of your dowry. That should ease your conscience, should it not?"
Jane and Miss Darcy came up to embrace their sister and brother and wished them felicitations on a happy union. Miss Darcy, especially, was very pleased that she would gain such a sister to help her navigate her debut in a year, which until this moment had been too oppressive a topic for her to even think about.
Jane was perplexed that her sister, having so vehemently denied that there could be any possibility that Mr. Darcy would propose a second time, should be betrothed to this gentleman just a few days later. She had to admit that she had been very much involved with her new project and had been quite busy in the Rosings still room. Moreover, her evenings had been spent primarily on plying Dr. King with questions on her fascinating hobby and, therefore, had not been observing her sister or Mr. Darcy closely. Her impression, though, was that the two professed lovers were not very often together since arriving at Rosings. Even now Mr. Darcy still appeared like he always did, although his usually stern countenance was much softened, and his steadfast gaze at his betrothed was sometimes accompanied by a smile. She decided to ask Lizzy directly later.
The rest of the day was spent as usual. Dr. King had said that it was best for Lady Catherine to regain her physical strength before her memory was excessively stimulated; and so only Anne was allowed to see her mother once a day for a short time, usually in the morning.
That afternoon, it was clear that Mr. Collins's end was near, and so Elizabeth decided not to tell her close friend about her joyous news yet. Besides, with Sir William and Maria Lucas in residence, the good people of Meryton would know the news of her betrothal before she herself had the chance to inform her father. She and Jane decided to stay with Charlotte for most of the day to rally their best friend's spirits in advance of the impending grief.
That night before bedtime, Elizabeth was bone-tired due to the lack of sleep the previous two nights, but she was happy to oblige her sister by staying up to placate Jane's curiosity on how the second proposal came about.
Elizabeth pondered the question for a long while. She and Jane kept hardly any secrets between them, but she felt reluctant to share the details of the second and the third proposals with another person, even Jane. They were precious to her – this first beautiful experience that she and her Fitzwilliam had created together. She finally said, "Well, Jane, I was wrong, as I have been wrong about so many things and so many people."
It was obvious that Elizabeth was not telling the whole story, but Jane did not persist in her questioning as, Jane being Jane, she was always considerate of others' feelings. She switched to a different topic, and said, "Mr. Darcy was so quiet all evening. In fact, so were you. Have you already 'become one' even before your wedding by adopting his manners and personality?"
Elizabeth could not help laughing at Jane's insinuation. She replied light-heartedly, "Jane, Mr. Darcy is not of a disposition in which happiness overflows in mirth, but believe me, we are both blessedly, boundlessly happy. He is in general more austere than other young men of his age, but it is only because he has had so much responsibility thrust at him for so long. I think we will do very well together. He has a cool head and does everything in informed deliberation, whereas I tend to rush to a conclusion and dash headlong into any kind of misadventure. We shall be each other's moderator. When we work together, we get things done."
Jane smiled at her sister knowingly, saying, "You made it sound as if you two were in a business partnership. But I know you better than that to be fooled – we have a pact to marry only for the deepest love. So just answer me this single question with a simple one-word answer so that my mind will be at ease, and then I will let you go to bed. Are you truly in love?'"
Elizabeth looked lost in her thoughts for another long moment. She finally answered carefully, "Jane, I am the last person to talk sensibly about love, and definitely not with just one word. I have been quite befuddled by it. When love was staring me directly in the eye in the form of admiration, I was determined to call it disdain. Then just two days ago, I thought I recognized, for the first time, ardent love in Mr. Darcy's eyes, I fled from it because I was so shocked. This morning, when I looked into his eyes, I saw such tenderness – it made my heart sing. I knew instantly that whatever feeling it was, I returned it. My skin felt pricked like goosebumps, and I had this feeling of warmth radiating from within me. Is that love? I believe to the depths of my heart that it is.
"Perhaps I do not yet love him as he loves me, but I believe I was attracted to him from the start. That was why his slight of me at the assembly hurt so much. You know that I do not usually speak ill of people except perhaps to you and Charlotte when we speak frankly in private. I was, however, almost viciously slandering him to all who would listen to me. I am thoroughly ashamed!
"He told me this morning that he was not aware of insulting me within my hearing, and he thought it was possibly an innate reaction to how affected he was by me, even with just one glance. Perhaps it was the same with me. Since the one I favored would not have me, I would make sure that he was a vile enough man that to be disliked by him would be an honor. So, you see, it was love at first sight, except that we were so unprepared for it that our reactions to these intense feelings were abominable on both sides. Now that we have discovered and conquered our follies, we will be the happiest couple in the world."
Jane was all amazement. She grabbed Elizabeth's hand and exclaimed, "My dear, dear Lizzy, what extraordinary marital bliss you will have! I hope, in time, I shall be as fortunate and find my own Mr. Darcy."
"Oh Jane, you will – except that your reaction to finding your one true love will be very different from mine – you are so kind and compassionate in addition to being beautiful and talented. You will never do the mean-spirited things I did to Mr. Darcy. Will you come with me to Pemberley once I am married? You will have a very large estate at your disposal to pursue your new-found passion for medicinal plants, and Derbyshire is so far away from Hertfordshire that you will be able to find your true love without mamma's machinations – unless of course, you would rather be here to be close to Dr. King…"
"Lizzy, Dr. King is a friend and a mentor. That is all. He is also still in deep mourning and may be for the rest of his life. Besides, he is almost twice my age and has a son away at school already. I would feel inadequate to be the wife and mother of such a man and his children, as I think it would be natural that he would make comparisons between his new wife and his first wife, the love of his life. I think I should be happier with someone closer to my age, and who will be content with me."
"Oh, Jane, you will always be favored in any competition. Well, if you have no ties here, then to Pemberley together we shall go!"
"Lizzy, you and Mr. Darcy will go to Pemberley together, and I shall tag along from time to time," answered Jane wistfully.
Elizabeth squeezed Jane's hand and said, "I hope it will be often."
With that, the sisters went to bed.