The next morning Mr. Darcy came to call at a ridiculously early hour which would have proclaimed him the lover of his Elizabeth had she not already done so.
He leapt off his horse, and easily handed the reins to the groom who rushed out, the clacking of his horse proclaimed that he was nearing.
Almost as fast Elizabeth bounded out of the house, wearing a lavender dress that swirled around her stockings and slippers. Her rush made her dress billow about her legs, revealing her prettily shaped legs. She had the happiest smile and Elizabeth's clever, brilliant eyes shined at him.
Darcy's stomach leapt at seeing her again.
Not caring at all for any audience they might have, Elizabeth leapt into Darcy's arms and kissed him. He kissed her back sweetly, though slightly embarrassedly, aware of the groom and the windows of the estate looking down on him — Mr. Bennet's bookroom, Darcy recalled vividly from the times he had called on the gentleman, looked out over the driveway.
When he set Elizabeth down, she said, almost aggressively, "Kiss me more, I believe Papa can see us."
Darcy coughed, laughed, and kissed her again thoroughly, not being a man who could resist Elizabeth when she made such a request in such a manner.
When he set her down this time, she smiled at him satisfiedly. "Much better. That was a proper kiss, worthy of audience." She turned back up to her father's windows and grinned.
"I expect," Mr. Darcy said, "if his choices are at all as mine would be in such a situation… I think I would prefer if my daughter did not kiss in front of me."
"Too happy to care right now — he teased me."
Elizabeth squeezed his hand tightly, and brought it up to her mouth and she kissed the back of his palm and then started to nibble on his knuckles until he fell silent.
"Let's take a walk about, before we go in. I am not yet ready to share you with any others."
"What did your family say when you told them we were to marry?"
"The usual — Mama cannot yet determine for herself whether I speak in jest or not when I tell her that I refused your first offer, but—"
"Oh, I can well imagine how that thought plays for her." Darcy laughed. "You seem to have determined to tease all of your family."
"Yes, and that is the main point — you love that I am so lighthearted, and have such a sense of humor. And I love yours."
Darcy took Elizabeth's hand, held it above her head to spin her around and then kiss her. Her smell made his chest catch, and he thought he would never have enough of keeping her so close. "You, my dear, are particularly happy today."
"I believe I have quite excellent reasons to be happy today — after all I have done my mother proud."
"I have some suspicion that you shall not be the only one of her daughters to fulfill your mother's more mercenary wishes."
"Jane and Bingley!" Elizabeth grinned. "The sweetest pets in the south of England, the way they stick their heads together to coo at each other. Almost improper — but both bereaved and finding company in each other."
"And Harriet and Lavinia get along quite well," Darcy added.
"There are few couples I have ever seen who look so well together."
"Poor Bingley." Darcy said, laughingly, "My friend simply fell in love with your sister to escape the horde."
"The horde?"
"I have been informed by Louisa that he would otherwise be surrounded by a horde of women throwing their bonnets at him — ouch."
Elizabeth pinched Darcy as he said that. "Throwing bonnets at gentlemen is one of womankind's greatest duties."
"Oh, you've never thrown your bonnet at me."
Elizabeth removed that item of clothing from her head, and tossed it in Darcy's face, as he rather expected her to in response to that statement.
He laughed and took Elizabeth in his arms and kissed her hair, getting to enjoy the delightful smell again, and then her forehead and her lips.
After a moment Darcy added, "Bingley told me that he is entranced with Jane — though there is no chance they could marry for at least six months, so we cannot be sure the connection shall last so long, but it is the most promising inclination, on both sides."
"For my part, I am satisfied neither is likely to change — Jane smiled serenely and sweetly when Mama mentioned her hope that she might marry Mr. Bingley, when she is no longer mourning Mr. Hawdry. Such a serene sweet smile. That of a calm angel — if you knew Jane closely, you would know that was for her the same as jumping up and down shouting, 'Lord! Yes! Yes! Yes!'"
"Your mother is not a woman likely to turn aside any eligible gentleman appearing as a suitor for her daughters — will you be likewise with our daughters?"
"No — because you will set aside enough for their support whether they marry or not."
"In the articles. In the articles of marriage, I promise — I am a responsible man. You know that."
Elizabeth grabbed Darcy and kissed him firmly. "The best, most honorable, most diligent, and finest man I know — but I am on such intimate terms with one father who, despite his other excellences, is not so diligent in forwarding the interests of his children. I must specify that I marry you in part because I know I can trust you to take matters of fortune and future with the seriousness they deserve."
"You can."
Elizabeth grinned brightly. "Mama liked you from the first time you danced with me. Mama could never disapprove of you! Good as a Lord" — her voice excellently mimicked Mr. Darcy's soon to be mother-in-law — "Ten thousand a year, or so they say, and very likely more. Heavens, Lizzy, he is as good as a Lord!"
Darcy laughed. "Rather more I would say — most years closer to twelve or thirteen thousand — that depends on a great many factors and business matters."
"Oh? — I must confess to you, in my years of low seeking for money from the baying crowds, a habit I will not give up entirely no matter how much pin money you bribe me with to pay attention only to you—"
"Elizabeth, I would never see you cease to write for any reason but that you had become bored of it."
She laughed merrily, the tinkling sound echoing off the cold ground and trees. "Bored with writing? I am no Doctor Johnson. I have found things in life that were not present in London—"
"You mean the beauties of nature, and the joy of exceedingly long walks?"
"I mean you."
"Because I do spend a great deal of time in London. So I am not a disproof of Doctor Johnson's dictum that all there is in life is in the great capital."
"In any case, he also said that no man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
"Which is why I could never write, being possessed of ample fortune already, but I suspect you will continue the habit, as you are not a man."
Elizabeth giggled. "Yes. That is why I shall keep it up — and for your sister's sake, as I know she would be quite disappointed in me if I entirely gave up the practice. I had intended to suggest that the great compiler on occasion erred."
"My wish," Darcy said smiling at her dimpled smile, "is simply that you spare a little time from your devoted readership, longing for the following book, to shower rays of sunlight from your gleaming face and eyes upon your poor husband."
Elizabeth grinned and elbowed him. "Extravagant flatterer."
"I try."
"And what is more, you succeed — enough of that. Now that I can ask freely, since it is a matter of my own concern, I am quite curious about the details of how you dispose of your great fortune, and how it is founded. There is nothing so interesting, once you have become used to the practice, as the making and spending of money."
Darcy laughed. "My mercenary little Elizabeth — to hear you speak now a man would never believe that you have refused two highly eligible gentlemen."
"I have discouraged several others." Elizabeth grinned. "Fortunately one of my lovers was not so easily put off."
She smiled sunnily up at him, her upturned nose and dimpled cheek challenging Darcy, begging him to kiss her. It was a task he had not the strength to refuse.
"Mmmmm." Elizabeth's color was flushed and high. "You become better at that — practice. One must always practice."
"I think we shall have many opportunities for such." He grinned at her. "I hope you do not mind that I intend to become one of the chiefest experts in the art."
"We shall develop in the art together. There is nothing truly worth doing that is not worth the effort required to become proficient."
Elizabeth bit her lower lip and she looked at him in a quite seductive manner.
Darcy took that as invitation for another kiss, being quite pleased that the thick trees in the Bennets' little park hid them from whoever could watch them from the windows of the manor house.
He loved to hold her tight in his arms, and feel her sweet body against his, and to know that she was happy and safe with him. Every time she looked up at him with that trust in her eyes, something in Darcy's heart that had always been missing swelled and grew happy.
"That is the real lesson," he said after they kissed once more. "The point is not to find the perfect wife — or husband — not someone who meets a list, but to marry someone with whom you are happy when they are happy, and who you wish to spend your whole life making happier."
"Yes!" Elizabeth smiled at him, a wide brilliant and glowing smile that promised a happy future for them both.