Chapter 22:

Mr Darcy reached for Elizabeth's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. Lizzy blushed becomingly and tilted her head with a smile on her face, looking adorable as she looked at her husband.

"Are you compensating for your entrance this morning?" she teased, for he was being very proper and formal, they were finally spending a few moments alone and all he had done thus far was reach for her hand.

"Did it offend you? My entrance as you called it?" he asked, his eyes looking up, while her hand was still against his lips. He was worried about that, for someone who had always been taught to act correctly and befitting of his station, he felt his demonstration this morning had been very out of character and he did not want to think what her family, the family he had once thought beneath him, would think of him now.

"Not at all, I found it quite romantic" she gushed, "The floors, however, were a bit dirty and since I have a vetted interest in everyone liking you, I helped Lucy clean it up since it was, after all, my lover who barged in with dirty boots."

Mr. Darcy had known for some quite time that Elizabeth was the one for him but after hearing her speak and demonstrate her kindness to a mere servant when the contrast with the ton was so stark, he knew now with certainty that she was the only one for him.

"I love you" he said suddenly, smiling. He was still holding her hand and he kissed it again, and then looked up at a her, a dimple on his cheek. She noted how much more handsome he looked when he smiled. She was about to comment on that, but felt that their conversation about this morning had to be finished, for she knew what Mr. Darcy was concerned about.

"My father knows about Scotland" she added, biting her lip, for she knew that he would not want others knowing but surely he understood the importance of telling her own father, "I had to tell him."

"Of course" said Mr. Darcy, letting go of her hand. "Do you wish to sit?" he asked, as they were standing a bench, covered in shrubbery that seemed to be on the edge of Spring, ready to bud at any moment.

"I thank you" she said graciously, sitting down, and smiling, as he sat beside her and reached for her hand, holding it tightly as they continued to speak. "My father is not disappointed, not at all, I think he was surprised by your entrance, but he knows that I was compromised and he is glad I am not ruined." Mr. Darcy squeezed her hand, comforting her as she spoke.

"Is that how you feel?" he asked, fearing what the answer might be. She had declared that she loved him, but a voice inside his heart could not but wonder, could a woman who had rejected him a mere two weeks ago, now claim to be in love?

"I love you, Fitzwilliam" said Lizzie simply and emotion, "Do not doubt that!" she rebuked him with a laugh, he smiled, and she felt she could continue, "You knew I came here willing to potentially ruin myself for the sake of saving you. I know you must wonder how I could love you so quickly, but I believe though it was only two weeks—time seemed to stop while we were in Scotland, I felt as if we were in our own world, perhaps, that is why I also did not want to tell you the truth—I did not want the fantasy to end."

"And now?"

"And now, it is just beginning" said Lizzy, the last words in a whisper.

"Indeed" he said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek, caressing her face as he did so. She closed her eyes and embraced him. She forced herself to pull away from him after what felt like seconds but was surely longer. He smiled, watching her stand up suddenly. He knew it was wise and he was likewise thankful that the engagement would only be three days.

"So three days?" asked Lizzy, linking arms with him again, as they walked into the secluded area of the garden, "We mustn't go too far or my mama will send a searching party."

"I would have married you today if I thought it possible" he said, "but alas I had to wait three days, Richard will be going to London to get the license, I am in no condition to travel with speed back and forth once again."

"Indeed" said Lizzy, "Do not fear, I do think of you less for saying that, on the contrary, I admire you."

"I thank you" said Mr. Darcy gallantly, bowing with a flutter of a hand, teasing her. Lizzy laughed, oh how much she enjoyed being in his presence.

"My staff in Pemberley already think us married, I thought a quick wedding in your home was prudent for you, I personally think my reputation could only improve if the ton found out I eloped" said Mr. Darcy with a smile.

"Ah is that your tale?" asked Lizzy, in a teasing manner. They were approaching the end of the paved circle and they would soon find themselves near Richard again.

Mr Darcy smiled.

"I do not think London will care either way, once we have married here, we are married. But to my people it is important that they know that when you came to Pemberley it was with the blessing of God and the wedding shall be posted in the papers, it would offend your parents otherwise, and so I will tell them the truth" he explained.

"I see" said Lizzy, stopping to walk and clearly thinking deeply.

"Do you?" he asked, raising her chin with his thumb, their eyes meeting.

"Yes I do, you are as thoughtful and as kind as I never thought you to be" she said, shrugging her shoulders. He stared at her, not knowing how to respond and after an uncomfortable moment, she asked, "Has your memory return more while being here?" Mr. Darcy nodded and they continued walking, seeing Richard from a distance.

"Yes" he said, shifting uncomfortably, "I do not think I like that performance of myself. I do not blame you for rejecting me, in fact, I believe I owe you an apology."

"Oh?" asked Lizzy, turning her face to face him.

"I told Mr. Bingley to stay away from your sister, I have remembered part of it and also deduced it to be so, which now seems to be the combination of my thought process, that I did so and I was wrong. I had only the knowledge that I had in hand but it was not my role to guide him in any way. If it is any consolidation, he has been miserable and is hoping to making amends."

"Hmm" said Lizzy woolgathering. "If you had left for many months and then returned, what shall you expect me to say?"

"I do not know. I never thought I would owe lady Catherine gratitude but alas, it was my stay at Rosings that convinced me that there would be no one like you and though I was blinded into thinking you likewise fancied me, I am glad fate put you before me. And I am sure that if Charles had seen your sister even once, the story would have played out differently for them both" said Mr. Darcy with honesty.

"Mmm" said Lizzy, a small frown on her face. She knew that what he said was in fact truth. Would he have continued to seek her out without being aware of her affection? Was this a fair comparison? Would it have been enough for Mr. Bingley to have seen Jane, even once? And would it make a difference to Jane? Lizzy did not know and she felt that she did not need to know. She was glad Mr. Darcy had apologized for he had been wrong but he, they, had meddled enough. It was now up to Jane and Mr. Bingley to choose for themselves.

"I have remembered that I have something for you" he said suddenly, pulling her from her thoughts. He reached into his pocket and handed her a letter, that seemed wrinkled and worn.

"What is it?" asked Lizzy, taking it from him hesitantly, squinting her eyes trying to figure out who it was from.

"This is the letter I asked you to read at Rosings, right before they took us. Richard took it from Wickham, who had it, and I have returned it to its rightful owner" he said.

"I do not need to read it" said Lizzy, after staring at it for a few minutes in silence, flipping it in her hands. "I can only imagine that in it you defended yourself from the accusations I laid before you and I can safely said that those accusations have been completely removed and my feelings for you have changed."

Mr. Darcy nodded, a small smile on his face. "What shall we do with it?" he asked.

"I think we should keep it" said Lizzy, handing it back to him, "As a memory of what brought us together, for it was you delivering that letter which put is in a situation where we fell in love."

"I was already in love" teased Mr. Darcy. Lizzy laughed.

"Yes, but I was not" she teased back.

"Do you think if we had not been abducted, we would have ended up together? Could my letter have made a difference?"

"I do not think we will ever know but I do know with certainly that you are exactly the type of man that I was meant to marry and we shall both bring out the best of each other" said Lizzy, closing the space between them.

"I agree" said Mr. Darcy, leaning in and giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. He offered her his arm and she gladly took it, as they continued in their walk, Richard now quite visible and ready to be in the lovers' midst again.

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Supper that evening was uneventful, at least for those gathered that all they wished for was a private audience. Mr. Darcy had been sat next to Mr. Bennet, who was making the effort in engaging Mr. Darcy in conversation, who seemed to be back in his quite ways. Lizzy was next to Jane and her mother. And though Mr. Bingley was next to Jane, he found that they could barely talk. The food was applauded and Mrs. Bennet's hostess skills were lauded, and everyone but the reunited pair of lovers left the table in high spirits.

The gentlemen left first and joined Mr. Bennet for a drink and then very soon after joined the ladies in the drawing room, where Mary had the fortune for her and the misfortune for her audience of playing a song. After one song, Lizzy volunteered herself to play another, not wanting to scare off Mr. Darcy too soon after their engagement. He would see her family's ridiculousness in the future but it was not necessary to remind him of it all in one day.

The guests left at a proper time, bade farewell to the ladies, with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley promising to call on them the following day. The Colonel informed them that he would go to London on the morrow and return just in time for the wedding, with the papers in hand. Lizzy took the chance to thank him, for she knew that if he did not go, Mr. Darcy would and he could not take another such trip. Richard gave her a brotherly smile and with a head nod let her know that he completely understood.

It was much later when the ladies were upstairs, in their nightgowns and brushing their hair, that Lizzy hesitantly knocked on Jane's door.

"May I come in?" asked Lizzy, opening the door slightly.

"Of course" said Jane, placing her brush down on her vanity and turning around to see her sister, whose reflection she had seen in the mirror. "Please do sit down" said Jane, joining Lizzy on the edge of her bed.

"How are you?" asked Lizzy, looking into her sister's eyes.

"I do not know" said Jane honestly, "I am happy, angry, confused" she said, her voice breaking with emotion, "But I do not think that I need to know how I am. I want to focus on your wedding and your day, and there will be time afterwards to process and think."

"We are going to London after the wedding and will spend a couple of weeks there, Georgiana will join, and perhaps the stay will turn a bit longer, why do you not join us?" asked Lizzy, "Perhaps there you can see for yourself how you feel."

"I like that idea" said Jane, smiling sweetly, "I thank you and your Mr. Darcy for the invitation."

"It pains me to see you so" said Lizzy, frowning, "I love you."

"And I you, and it made my heart flutter to see you and Mr. Darcy stealing looks at each other. I know he is still embarrassed by his...well, demonstration this morning, but I think it showed character and love" said Jane, forcing herself to smile and pushing Mr. Bingley out of her thoughts. "Come, let us talk of lace and your trousseau!"

Lizzy laughed and Jane laughed with her, and they spend the night talking as sister do, of everything but of nothing of real importance, all at the same time.

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I feel like this story is just beginning for me...what started out as repost is now turning into a new story, for im writing new chapters which im in love with so far.

I wanted to add a different side to mrs bennet...i know she is silly and she is still here but i think she is also a woman who chose to escape reality...she isnt happily married and i think the bennets marriage bursted pretty early on. lizzy is not as bad as her father towards mrs bennet but mrs bennet does feel this judgement from her (smart ppl tend to do that and not realize). anyways...

how did u like the chapter?