Thanks for your patience as I've delayed in posting this chapter. I was out with COVID, then had to play catch up with work and I'm still not 100% - The virus itself wasn't bad but I am still exhausted all the time and a Covid fog lingers, which doesn't make for coherent writing.

FYI: changed up their email notification/alerts default. They suddenly made the default for email notifications 'No', with the user having to opt-in to receive notifications/alerts. Apparently, it is now supposed to be restored. It is not. I only discovered all this because I didn't get an email as I usually do when I publish a chapter. If you're missing updates you might want to check your settings and toggle to 'Yes'.

~~PoR~~

After Elizabeth bid William goodbye, she stood looking out the window until he was out of sight. When she awoke this morning, she could not have imagined the course the day would take. However, she was delighted with the outcome. Now she only had to tell her mother.

This thought was accompanied by the notes of the pianoforte as Mary practiced in the drawing room. She slipped into the room and sat on the bench beside her sister. When Mary stopped playing, Elizabeth urged her to continue "No, please, finish the song." The three eldest Bennet sisters would often find respite in this room, away from the high energy of their mother and two younger sisters, who only entered this more formal room during dinner parties at Longbourn.

"How was your walk with Mr. Darcy?" Mary asked once she had completed the final notes.

"It was most satisfactory," Elizabeth replied as she toyed with the keys, playing a light melody.

"Satisfactory? Your tone conveys something beyond satisfaction. Shall you make me guess?"

"I shall not. Our walk was, in fact, lovely. Mr. Darcy and I are now courting." Elizabeth smiled and shook her head as if in disbelief.

"Lizzy!" Mary squealed as she embraced her sister. "I am so happy for you."

"Thank you but I have not told Mama yet so we must be quiet. Papa knows for he has already discussed it with Mr. Darcy."

"But you are going to tell Mama, are you not?"

"I wish I did not have to but at the same time I want to confront her with the fact that her judgement is flawed, and her scheming was for naught. I am just uncertain how gentle I want to be about it."

"Need you be gentle at all?"

"That is what Mr. Darcy asked. He was quite dismayed that I would not allow him to be with me when I told her. He was adamant he should be at my side."

"That speaks very well of him, Lizzy. I am so glad that you have found someone who will support you, now you just need to actually let him."

"I shall in the future, but I need to do this for myself. I want to look her in the eye when I tell her, for her to see my happiness and I want to see her disappointment. Is it not the most absurd thing that she will be disappointed. Most women would be pleased to have a daughter courted by such a good man. Any of her daughters."

"When she finally realizes Mr. Darcy cannot be swayed, you will suddenly become her favorite daughter. She will quickly forget she was ever resistant to your relationship with him."

"I know, but how unfortunate for her that I will not forget." Mary watched Elizabeth transform before her eyes; determination seemed to strengthen her. Her spine straightened and her jaw was set.

"Now is the time to tell her. Come, I will go with you." She took Elizabeth's hand and walked alongside her as they made their way to the sitting room.

Mr. Bennet had remained in the room with Mrs. Bennet, and Kitty and Lydia had joined them at some point while Elizabeth was speaking with Mary. Elizabeth thought it a good thing that the younger girls were present. She had already seen evidence of her mother's preference for Lydia over Kitty. In standing for herself, she hoped to stand for the younger girls as well.

On their entrance into the room, Mr. Bennet glanced up from his book. He had been surprised when William left without any sort of announcement. He thought perhaps the young man had not broached the topic of courtship. He raised an eyebrow in question and Elizabeth responded with a smile and nod. At the gesture, he was on his feet and across the room. After a quick embrace and whispered congratulations, he stood by her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Is Lizzy injured, Papa?" Kitty asked. Once again, Mr. Bennet was struck by his failings. What a wretched father he was if his children thought he would only embrace them if they were injured or ill. "Not at all, Kitty. She has happy news. She and Mr.-."

Elizabeth patted the hand on her shoulder to stop her father's words. "Indeed, I have very happy news. During our walk, I honored Mr. Darcy by accepting his request for a courtship." Her choice of words was deliberate even though to her own ears it sounded a bit arrogant. "I think we are very well suited, and we are both extremely excited by this advancement in our relationship." As she had said to Mary, Elizabeth wanted her mother to see her happiness, a radiant smile and bright eyes reinforced her words.

"Courting? Relationship?" Mrs. Bennet screeched and rounded on her husband. "You knew about this, and you stood by while Lizzy stole this opportunity from Jane."

"Everybody knew about this, ma'am." Elizabeth, again, would not let her father answer. "While discreet, neither of us made a secret of our interest in one another. But I must ask, are my prospects for happiness contingent upon my sister's interest in gentleman, even though he has no interest in her. That is insupportable and I will not indulge you your feelings in this matter, Mama. My sisters and I are all entitled to pursue joy and contentment where we may find it."

"Within reason, my dear." Mr. Bennet interjected, quietly amused.

"Papa?"

"Within reason. You are very good to support your sisters in this manner but let us be pragmatic, shall we." Addressing the younger girls, he made what proved to be a very unpopular statement. "I will understand your future consternation, but it is far too early to be thinking on this. You will not be out until seventeen and even then, you will be closely watched. I will not have you following after anyone in trousers who happens to pass through the village."

"Seventeen! That is not fair. Jane, Lizzy, and Mary all came out at fifteen. Kitty's birthday is next month!" Mrs. Bennet's dismay was apparent.

"Seventeen at the earliest, for a certain degree of maturity must be demonstrated as well." He consoled Kitty who had begun to cry. "Do not make yourself unhappy. If you are a good girl for the next few years, I will take you to a review at the end of them."

Elizabeth was quite pleased with her father's newfound resolve, but she felt they had lost the main thread of the conversation. "Of course, Papa, you are quite right. I hope I have demonstrated enough maturity that my choices, and those of Mr. Darcy, will be not only celebrated but respected by my family. I will not have it otherwise. Those who do not, may find themselves unwelcome in my life. For instance, we are all invited to dine at Netherfield Park this evening. Whether or not such hospitality continues in the future, we will have to see."

~~PoR~~

"William, William!" Ana said, as she threw a cushion from the settee at him. "Why did you stop? The letter did not end in the middle of a sentence, did it?" William had been reading aloud a letter from their cousin Richard, the newly promoted Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"What? Oh, I am sorry, Ana. My mind was elsewhere."

Ana let out an exasperated sigh when he still did not resume his reading. "You like Miss Bennet, she likes you, swoon, swoon. There, done. Now, please continue, it was just getting interesting."

"Why do you assume I was thinking of Miss Bennet?" Ana's only response was to roll her eyes. "I thought you liked Miss Bennet."

"I do, but I do not need to think or talk about her all the time."

"I do not talk about her all the time." Ana arched an eyebrow in a look that was very reminiscent of their aunt. "I do not." William insisted, only to look at his mother to see she was nodding in agreement with his sister.

"Would you prefer that I postpone our dinner with the Bennets this evening?" He asked. He had not yet told his mother or sister about his courtship. He wanted to savor it for a few hours, thus the distraction that Ana had called him out on earlier.

"You know neither of us are suggesting any such thing, but you do speak of Miss Bennet quite often. While one of three and ten may find it tedious," she gestured to Ana, who had taken the neglected letter from William's hand, "I am overjoyed. However, you must not create expectations you do not mean to fulfill."

"As it happens, I have some news to share on that matter. I asked Miss Bennet for a courtship today and she agreed."

"William, how wonderful!" Lady Anne exclaimed as she reached over to clasp her son's hand. "I am very pleased for you."

Ana came over to him and hugged him around the neck. "I am pleased for you too, brother. I suppose you can talk about Miss Bennet all you want. I meant it when I said I liked her, and I shall be happy to have her as a sister."

"Thank you, my dear," William laughed. "But we are not quite to that point yet."

"Close enough. Is that why the Bennets are coming for dinner? You are going to announce it tonight." Despite her earlier comments, Ana was excited for her brother.

"It is to be a celebration, for Miss Bennet will be informing her own family before their arrival." William's smile was less easy at the thought of Mrs. Bennet's reaction.

"William, you left her to face such a task alone? We both know how difficult her mother is. Pardon me, Ana. We should not speak ill of our neighbors. I trust you in your d-"

"In my discretion, of course. I would never repeat anything I hear in our home." Once again Ana rolled her eyes. "And anyone who has encountered the Bennets can see that Mrs. Bennet has her own way of thinking."

"That is a very diplomatic way of putting it," William patted Ana's back affectionately before answering his mother's question. "Miss Bennet insisted. She did not wish for my presence. I would have most willingly stayed with her, or even announced it myself, but I believe she did not want me to witness Mrs. Bennet's reaction."

"I can appreciate that. Your Miss Bennet shows fortitude. That will certainly serve her well when she meets your father."

"And your aunt." All heads turned to see Lady Catherine de Bourgh enter with the housekeeper. "I see I surprised you all. I so seldom get the chance to surprise anyone anymore. I am glad to see I am still able." She held her arms open, and Ana ran into them. William and Lady Anne waited for their turn to greet the newcomer.

"Now, did I hear correctly, you are courting a young lady?" Lady Catherine sunk into an old but rather cozy chair, bypassing a more prominent, ornamental seat. She noticed her sister's amusement. "Come now, Annie, I find comfort is more of a luxury than opulence these days. And, in this chair, I shall be much more relaxed and easy while I interrogate William."

~~PoR~~

William was relieved when they all retired to their rooms to prepare for dinner. His aunt had questioned him more strenuously than Mr. Bennet had. She seemed to have perfected the art of asking well-intentioned yet uncomfortable questions. Many of them were obviously influenced by his mother's own experience with his father.

"In our circles, it is quite inevitable that courtship leads to marriage. So, given your upbringing and your closeness to your family, if you marry this Miss Bennet and you find her needs conflict with those of your mother and sister, who will you prioritize?"

A wave of fear threatened to overwhelm him. His instinct said Miss Bennet, or rather Mrs. Darcy as she would be, but he struggled with the feeling that he would be betraying his mother and Ana. That fear only lasted a moment. "I love my mother and my sister, but in marrying I would be making a vow to put Miss Bennet before all others when she becomes my wife. She would be my priority as would any children we may have. My mother sets an excellent example for me in that respect. However, that does not mean I cannot find solutions to accommodate the other important people in my life. No one shall ever be neglected. And my mother did not raise me to be a man devoted solely to her, at her beck and call. She would never put me in the position to make such a choice."

Lady Catherine looked at him for a long moment. "I am very proud of the man my sister has raised you to be, William. I look forward to meeting your young lady."

The relief he previously felt was now replaced by impatience as he waited for the Bennet family to arrive. He knew he had no cause for worry. Elizabeth would have found a way to notify him if something had gone amiss. Elizabeth. He was receiving the woman he was courting in his home, and he was almost dizzy at the thought. It was during his conversation with his aunt that his anticipation for the courtship started to grow. Of course, he was anticipating his courtship, but it was the outcome of the courtship that now occupied his mind. An engagement, Elizabeth as his fiancée. A marriage, Elizabeth as his wife. Elizabeth Darcy. Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy. He sighed happily.

"They are here!" Ana was watching out the window in her brother's stead, as their aunt had stated that it was unseemly for him as host to keep watch on the drive. William stood up and smoothed his clothing and ran a hand over his hair then he turned to the door to await his guests.

When they entered, he caught Elizabeth's eye. She was calm and composed, showing a little surprise at the Darcys' unexpected guest. He waited as his mother introduced Mr. and Mrs. Bennet to Lady Catherine and then Elizabeth and Mary. The younger girls were presented quickly and then escaped with Ana to her rooms.

Lady Catherine leveled a steady gaze at Elizabeth before she clasped her hand and led her over to the chair where William had been interrogated earlier. "I particularly wished for this introduction. Come, we have much to discuss." Elizabeth exchanged an amused smile with William as she followed Lady Catherine.

"Tell me about yourself, you must be very special to attract the attention of my nephew." Mrs. Bennet's head whipped around to watch her daughter and the distinguished lady as they moved further away out of earshot. William followed and took a seat nearby.

"One might say it is your nephew who is very special in order to attract my attention," Elizabeth quipped. "I am very particular, you see."

"And William measures up, does he?"

"I would not have accepted this courtship with such happiness if he did not."

"Hmm," Lady Catherine considered Elizabeth, who seemed more open than was fashionable. She was inclined to like her for that reason alone, as she, herself, was a very many things that were not fashionable. However, she could not let that personal inclination persuade her so quickly. "Obviously, you would be settled close to your family home. That is always nice for a lady. Of course, William is a very wealthy man in his own right, but as heir to Pemberley he is worth more. That does have a way of attracting a young lady's attention."

"Aunt!" William could not believe Lady Catherine would say such a thing. In answer, he received only a dismissive wave of her hand, as she brushed him off.

"If anything, the proximity of Netherfield Park to my family home might be a mark against him. It is possible to be settled too near to one's family. I do not have such very strong local attachment nor a desire to always be at Longbourn. I think Mr. Darcy shares that sentiment. After all, Hertfordshire is a long way from Pemberley, is it not? As to his fortune, it is of no great consequence to me as I consider one's worth to be so much greater than their economic situation. That is not to say I do not enjoy material comforts, but other things are more important to me."

"And what are those things?"

"If I were prone to flippancy, I would say he cuts a handsome and elegant figure and state nothing else needs to be said. But I know that will not do. And you certainly know how intelligent, good-hearted, and steadfast he is. I am sure everyone he knows acknowledges this, so, I believe you want something more. I can simply tell you that Mr. Darcy provides clarity for me."

"Clarity, that is most peculiar." And most interesting, Lady Catherine thought.

"Is it? It seems perfectly reasonable to me. Perhaps clarity is the wrong word, I will let you determine what would be more apt." Elizabeth glanced over at William who she felt looked at her with complete understanding. "Of course, I have thought of how my life would be when I left my father's house, but it has always been somewhat…indistinct. However, since meeting Mr. Darcy I think more deeply on the person I want to be, and where I belong in the world. Not just the world as a whole but the smaller world of family. And the indistinct is suddenly coming into sharper focus." Even as she blushed, her gaze remained fixed on William.

"Mr. Darcy and I will discuss those other important things between ourselves as our courtship progresses. I hope you will pardon me, ma'am. I do appreciate that you are concerned for your nephew, but I do not feel compelled to reveal more of myself to you at this time."

Lady Catherine was not pleased to be denied but some part of her was delighted that Elizabeth did not seem intimidated by her title or forceful manner. She would respect Elizabeth's wishes and not push further this evening. That did not mean her curiosity was sated even though she believed she already had an accurate measure of Elizabeth Bennet. She was not a game player, as were so many of the young ladies of the ton. If anything, she was a bit too honest and impertinent, and she knew her own mind. Her admiration for William was obvious and she recognized, and seemed to appreciate, the traits intrinsic to his character. Though she would not tell William just yet, she approved of his choice. She also knew that George Darcy, great hypocrite that he was, would be displeased to learn of his son's courtship.