Thank you for the encouragement and pieces of advice that you guys have given me last time. I really appreciate it and I feel better knowing that I'm not alone in having problems regarding that area.
Anyway, since today is a special day, let's focus on happy things. Guess what day it is today? Well, if you must know today is Colin Firth's birthday! And guess who shares this day with him? ;) You guessed it! Since today is also my birthday, and my eighteenth one at that, I give you this chapter full of our dear Mr Darcy and Elizabeth. So far, it was my favourite among all that I have written. As a gift to you guys, I'll be posting another chapter today! Yey!
It'll be posted five hours after this one. Hope that's okay J
RECAP:
Chapter 14 – Lizzy, the cousins, and the Lucas siblings learned from Lady Lucas and Sir William that Elizabeth was not a Bennet. Edward Gardiner also found out that Lizzy befriended three people who were on Claire's list.
© 2019 Zest Layne
Darcy had been constantly checking his watch since he woke up that morning and he knew that Richard had noticed his behaviour. The rain had already stopped yesterday morning so they had left Lucas Lodge after breaking their fast.
Thankfully, because of the preparations for the ball in two days, Miss Bingley was too busy to fuss on him and his cousins. Bingley had completed handing out the invitations the same day Mrs. Bennet tried her scheme on Elizabeth so the ball was still set on the 26th. Apparently, a couple of minutes once they had left Longbourn, the Bingleys and the Hursts had arrived to visit.
Mrs. Bennet tried to make them stay but when the rain had calmed down a little during luncheon, Miss Bingley had insisted on returning to Netherfield with the excuse that she needed more time to prepare for the ball, especially with the bad weather. Upon hearing this, Mrs. Bennet hadn't stopped them from leaving Longbourn when Bingley had acquiesced to his sister's request.
Now, Darcy was pacing at Netherfield's garden, while Richard was playing with some hounds. There was just too much going on inside the manor from curtains to more complicated decorations. He felt sorry that Cousin Anne was involved in the planning as much as Miss Bingley was (the latter unfortunately, woke up earlier than her usual wont).
Bingley, on the other hand, rode to fetch the apothecary to check on Mrs. Hurst who was still recovering from a cold. Bingley originally planned to get Mr. Jones yesterday but Louisa insisted she was fine. However, when Hurst told Bingley that Mrs. Hurst had woken up earlier feeling sick, Bingley decided to get the apothecary whether his sister liked it or not, while Hurst stay with his wife.
"What's with all the fidgeting, Darce?"
"I will be meeting with Miss Elizabeth about an hour from now." He answered.
Richard looked up from petting the dogs and turned to him unamused. "After days of ignoring her, might I point out – refusing to at least check on her when she'd gotten a cold while staying with her in the same house, you'll be meeting her now? What is wrong with you, man?"
Darcy sighed. He could either lie or tell Richard the truth. He didn't reply immediately, contemplating about it. After a few minutes, he sighed and decided to go with the latter. If there was anyone whom he could trust with what was going on right now, it was Richard.
He'd been there since he first met Elizabeth and throughout their recent encounters. His cousin would understand. Calling the attention of one of the dogs to him, Darcy started telling the story.
"It all started when I woke up before sunrise after Sir William's revelation…"
-p&p-
Darcy twisted and turned at his bed for the hundredth time but no matter what he did, he just couldn't bring himself back to sleep.
It shouldn't be a surprise to him, since he had the same problem last night. He'd been too busy thinking about Elizabeth. He knew that what happened at Longbourn yestermorning had already shaken her and he could only imagine what she was going through right now after finding out that she wasn't related to the Bennets.
But that was not the only thing that made him stay awake last night. If Elizabeth was not a Bennet, then there was a possibility that she was not a gentleman's daughter. Even if she was a Bennet, her connection to that family could cause problems if anyone else found out the truth about Thomas Bennet. Or, she could be a gentleman's daughter but she hadn't been born in the right circumstances. Her situation could be one of the many cases Mr Lucas suggested last night.
He stood up from his bed and looked outside the window, there seemed to be a small garden outside. It was still raining lightly but he could bear it. He and Boreas always braved the Town in such weather so he wasn't afraid of getting sick. Besides, if he were to stay in this room, he'd probably wake up the others with his constant pacing.
Fortunately, he was still wearing his proper clothing, although they were a bit wrinkled now that he'd slept in them. His valet was at Netherfield and while Sir William offered his own valet to attend to them, Darcy had probably fallen asleep by the time said valet had knocked on his room. It was Darcy's fault that he hadn't been able to change, convincing Matthew, Sir William's valet, to attend to Richard first.
Nonetheless, what's done was done and Darcy was just glad that he could go outside without disturbing anyone. His hair was probably a bit unkempt but it wasn't like anyone was going to see him. The sun was not up yet, it wouldn't be for quite some time, and he'd be back to his room before that happened.
Decision made, he started making his way outside.
Months ago, Darcy would probably run away from Elizabeth immediately. But he had changed now. Getting to know Elizabeth had changed him. He wasn't kidding her when he'd told her in his letter that he had been a foolish man.
Now, Darcy could see that whatever the real reason as to why Elizabeth's mother had given her away, it wasn't Elizabeth's fault. Her circumstances weren't her fault. She didn't choose her life to be this way. Other people had made her life difficult for her.
And despite not knowing the full truth of Elizabeth's past, Darcy knew that he loved her. Last night, he wanted nothing more than to bring Elizabeth in his arms and shield her from all the pain she was experiencing. He wanted to dry her tears, to tell her that it was going to be alright, that he was there for her no matter what.
But the thing was, it wasn't only propriety and the fear of scaring Elizabeth away that had stopped him from doing all that. It was his position in society. He was a Marquess for goodness' sake; the only son of the current Duke of Derbyshire, and his title came with responsibilities.
He had a duty to his family, to the people who were depending on his family – on him. Could he really put his own desire first above what was expected of him?
Because if Elizabeth was born of an unfortunate circumstance, it mattered not if she was not at fault, it mattered not if he loved her. If that was the case, Darcy knew that he couldn't marry her.
Angered at the last thought, Darcy kicked the medium-sized rock. As the rock he kicked hit another rock, a movement from the corner of eye caught his attention. A lady in a dark red cloak was standing by a stone bench in the middle of the garden.
"Lord Ashbourne." Her voice was a little rough as if it had dried from crying.
He stared at her for a moment before finally realizing that he had yet to greet her. "Miss Elizabeth," he bowed.
For a moment they stood like that quietly, staring at each other. She was the one who broke their contact first and averted her gaze to the ground. Unconsciously, Darcy felt himself stepping closer until it was only the stone bench that separated them.
It took another moment of silent before she finally raised her head and looked at him again. "I would understand if you want to cut ties with me now, my Lord. I will not judge you for it."
"I told you in my letter that I have changed, do you remember?" He asked. "Have you little faith in me?"
She didn't answer and Darcy dared to step a little closer to her. Her silence gave him a moment to study her face further, to see what he had missed earlier when he'd been too caught up drowning in her dark eyes.
Now, with only a foot distance between them, he could clearly see that her nose and cheeks were red and wet from the cold and the rain. Her eyes, though still beautiful was brimmed with tears and surrounded with dark circles. It made the green in her eyes appear duller.
Before Darcy could register what he was doing, one of his hands had taken ahold one of hers and his other was already tilting her chin up to look at him making the hood of her dark red cloak fell on her shoulders. Now, he could also see her dishevelled dark tress that framed her face. "Do you not believe that I could still accept you despite everything?"
She shook her head. "You are a Marquess. You shouldn't befriend some unknown country girl with an unknown family. I know that your cousin, Anne, had stated that she'll still be my friend but now that I've thought about it better, all of you shouldn't be connected to me at all."
"It is not for you to decide, Elizabeth!" The two of them gasped at his sudden use of her Christian name.
After a moment, she dropped her gaze to the ground. "I do not even know if I am Elizabeth!" Tears escaped her eyes as soon as the final word left her mouth.
"But you are Elizabeth," he countered impassionedly. He lifted the hand he was holding to his lips and repeated his words, though this time, reverently, "You are Elizabeth." He felt her froze in surprise but Darcy was determined to show her that he wouldn't leave her so easily, not like the last time, so he kissed her again, but instead of pressing his lips at the back of her hand, he kissed her softly at the back of her fingers near the tips.
"You are still Elizabeth whether you're a Bennet or whatever your real last name is." He said against her fingers, his eyes not leaving hers. "You're the young lady that I've met in the rain at Hyde Park on the first day of September. The same lady who engaged me in debates Gardiner Warehouse, who played the pianoforte beautifully at Lucas Lodge, who was loved by the tenants of Longbourn, the woman who tied against me in a horse race…"
He paused, trying to convey all that he felt for her in his eyes, and when she looked back longingly at him, Darcy kissed her the inner part of her wrist. "You're the lady who has captured my heart." He entwined their fingers together as his other hand moved up from her chin to caress her cheek. "My dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth…"
"Lord Ashbourne…" she breathed.
"Fitzwilliam," he corrected, "call by my name, Elizabeth."
She raised her free hand to cup his cheek, "Fitzwilliam…"
For a few seconds, everything else faded away. They didn't hear the clattering of the rain nor did they felt the heavy drops of water cascading down their bodies. At that moment, it was just the two of them, basking in the feeling of one another. However, the sound of thunder was loud enough to bring them out of their trance.
Elizabeth immediately dropped her hand away from his face as if she had been scalded. "You cannot say things like that, Lord Ashbourne." She tried to remove her hand from his but he held firm. "We cannot be together. What if I came from a scandalous family? What if one of John Lucas' theories is right? What if I am a bastard child?"
"If that was the case, then why did your grandmother ensure that you learned the many accomplishments of a young lady?" He countered. For all Darcy knew, Claire Bennet taught Elizabeth these things to improve her breeding – if she was not a gentleman's daughter – but Darcy wasn't going to tell Elizabeth these thoughts. "You were the one with a governess, a companion and your own lady's maid, Elizabeth."
"But what if those are the measures she's taken because I am not in her sphere? What if my parentage isn't what we would like it to be? Even being connected to the Bennets could cause a scandal if anyone else found out the truth Mr Bennet."
"Then, no one has to know." He answered desperately, grasping both of her hands. "No one else but us knew the truth, Elizabeth. We can keep it a secret. You wouldn't have to be a Bennet for long, you'll be a Darcy." He was talking so fast, searching her eyes for a positive answer.
This wasn't how Darcy planned his morning to go, but damn it, he was not going to lose Elizabeth. He would deal with the consequences later. He would face his father, he would convince his Aunts and Uncle – he'd be able to do it all if Elizabeth chose to stay by his side. He just couldn't bear the thought of cutting her off or being just friends with her.
He wouldn't know what he'd do if he lost Elizabeth. It already happened once, when he had accused her of lying, and he had turned into a mess because of it. If the worry and fear he felt when she'd fainted last week was anything to go by, then he didn't want to know the kind of pain he would feel if he lost her now.
"But what if I wanted to know my real family?" She finally asked after a moment of staying silent.
"Then, we'll find them." He answered. "If the past isn't as good as we hoped for, then, we'll befriend them or meet them secretly, depending on how bad the situation is. But if they're what we hoped for, then we'll face them together and tell them that you're their daughter."
When she didn't respond, he asked, "Do you not feel the same way, Elizabeth? Do you not love me?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Darcy regretted it. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if he had misread her? What if she only felt friendship towards him and nothing more? But his doubts only lasted for a second because Elizabeth turned to face him and told him the words that would forever be engraved in his memory.
"I do love you," she answered vehemently. "That is why I am hesitant about this. If worst comes to worst, I do not want to bring a scandal into your family. I do not want you to suffer because of my past." With tears, she confessed, "I do not want you to regret me, Fitzwilliam. I could not bear the possibility that you might resent me."
He shook his head and kissed their joined hands, "I could never resent you, Elizabeth. I love you."
"And I love you," she whispered.
Not being able to resist the tender way she looked at him, he used one of his hands to reach up to her back and pulled her head to his chest. He felt her free hand grasp his upper arm.
They had stayed together in the garden, silently holding unto each other. Only when they noticed that the sun was beginning to rise did they spoke again. That time, Elizabeth had taken the lead on the conversation.
"The declaration of our feelings has made me very happy," she told him earnestly, "but I am still unsure if this was a path you are willing to take with me. So before we make any commitment to one another, I want us to be absolutely certain. We both need a clear head to think about it and we do not have that right now. It was only last night that I found out that I'm not who I am. I am still overwhelmed about everything right now. I am sure that you are too."
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"Let us give each other time to think about all of it first. Then we can meet up when we're both ready."
A part of him was offended. Did she think that his love for her was fickle? Did she not believe him? But another part of him agreed with her reasoning. It was all too much for the two of them to take in.
"Three days," he finally said, "at the top of Oakham Mount."
"Then we shall see each other in three days."
"Since the sun hasn't fully risen yet, today shall be the first day. Worry not for I will try to stay away from you to give you some peace of mind."
"Thank you, my Lord."
With a final squeeze at his hands, Elizabeth sneaked back into the house.
-p&p-
"You were giving her some space," Richard stated.
Darcy nodded. "Today was the day we agreed upon. Yestermorning, before we left Lucas Lodge, I left a note to Digby to give to her, about the time of our meeting."
"So that's why you're wearing your favourite attire." Richard motioned to his dark blue coat and black breeches. "Are you absolutely certain about this, Darce? By the looks of it, Miss Elizabeth is willing to let you go if you changed your mind."
Darcy glared at his cousin. "I do not want to change my mind, Richard." With a softer tone, he added, "I love her. I need her. I'm willing to face whatever is heading towards us as long as I have her by my side."
Richard looked at him straight in the eyes and he stared right back at his cousin unblinkingly. Finally, after a solid minute of their staring contest, Richard patted him on the shoulder. "I am glad you're finally willing to stand up to your father, cousin. If Elizabeth is your choice then I will support you."
Darcy smiled, "Thank you, cousin."
"Anne will be happy to hear about this too. She thought that you're suddenly fighting your feelings after finding out that you know…"
Darcy tossed a medium-sized stick for the brown dog to fetch before turning to his cousin, "Is that why she won't talk to me?"
Richard nodded. "It's called the silent treatment, Darce. Women do it when you do something they do not approve of." Then, with a teasing smile, he said, "I'm certain you will learn more about it once you spoke to your lady love."
"I'm looking forward to my lessons, then."
-p&p-
For a moment, when she opened her eyes, Elizabeth thought that it had all been a dream or a nightmare of some sort. However, the presence of Mrs Winters at the side of her bed, inspecting her injured foot told her otherwise.
Perhaps, someday in the future, she'd laugh at herself for always waking up and thinking that what happened three nights ago was a nightmare until the throbbing pain in her foot reminded her that it was not.
She was not a Bennet. Her whole life was a lie. The people she trusted the most were the ones that lied to her.
When Mrs Winters noticed that she's awake, the woman stood up immediately and informed her that Alexa had already prepared her bath. In response, Lizzy only nodded. Probably sensing that she wanted to be left alone, Mrs Winters left the room silently after that.
A minute later, Lizzy entered the small adjoining room to her chambers, where her bath was prepared. It was only when she submerged her body in the tub that she forced herself to relax. The Gardiners, along with Mrs Winters had arrived yesterday early in the evening and Elizabeth had yet to have a talk with them about the truth.
Yes, she wanted answers badly but she didn't know if she had the strength to face them just yet. Not after finding out about their lies. Fortunately for her – or unfortunately, depending on how one would choose to see it – she managed to avoid them last night with the excuse that she was still recovering from her cold.
In her defence, if Fitzwilliam (would it still be Fitzwilliam later when they talk or would she have to call him formally once again?) hadn't tilted her chin up, the hood of her cloak would still be covering her head. So really, it was indirectly his fault that she'd caught a cold. Or perhaps it had been her fault for looking up at the sky whilst the rain continued to soak her face?
She shook her head and splashed some water on her face. Her nervousness on their forthcoming meeting was making her think of silly things.
Whatever caused her cold, Lizzy wouldn't regret spending that morning in the garden with him. Even if he changed his mind when they met later, she would still be grateful for what happened at the Lucas' garden that morning. Just remembering how he told her that he loved her was enough to make her feel better despite everything that's going on.
But what if he didn't change his mind? A hopeful part of her dared to ask.
If he was still certain in pursuing her despite the possible consequences… then Lizzy would just have to trust him, wouldn't she? Hopefully, he wouldn't break her trust like the Gardiners and the Lucases did.
Elizabeth rubbed her face with her palms. 'No' she thought, 'Fitzwilliam wouldn't break my trust.' She had to stop thinking negatively and she knew that the only way to do that was to finally speak with the Gardiners. 'Later,' she promised herself, 'I'd talk to them later this afternoon.' She had a different appointment to prepare herself for this morning.
Closing her eyes, Elizabeth recalled the morning after the night the truth about her identity was revealed.
-p&p-
Lizzy had woken up before the sun was up and the rain was still lightly pattering outside Lucas Lodge. Her first thought upon waking up was that last night wasn't real and she'd just had a very vivid and dramatic dream. But, when she felt her right foot throbbing, she knew that she was only lying to herself.
Sitting up on the bed, she removed the pieces of fabric that covered her foot before examining the injury. The cut was about two inches long and it appeared to be deeper than she had initially thought. But then again, her mind was too preoccupied in processing the revelations last night to spare a minute about her injured foot.
Sighing, she wrapped her foot again in the same fabric that she had removed and walked towards her trunk that was placed in the corner of the room. She opened it and grabbed a pair of stockings and her wine coloured cloak.
Seeing as the sky was still dark and it was only 3:40, which meant that Alexa was still asleep and wouldn't be able to help her dress, Lizzy decided to put on the stockings on her own. As for her dress, since she couldn't wear her proper attire without her abigail's help, she put on the dark coloured cloak.
While her nightgown covered in a long robe was modest-looking, it still didn't sit well with the rules of propriety, especially since she wanted to go outside. Hopefully, the cloak and the shawl would fix that problem for her. She didn't bother looking at the mirror to make sure she looked alright. The hood of her cloak would hide her face anyway.
She just couldn't bring herself to look at her own reflection just yet. She also couldn't stay in this room knowing that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.
So, to the garden of the Lucases she went.
It was cold, which was to be expected since it was still drizzling. The weather didn't deter her, however. Elizabeth still walked towards the middle of the garden, where a stone bench was placed. She let her hand traced its smooth surface before sitting down.
When she was only a child, whenever she and Grandma Claire would visit Lucas Lodge, Lady Lucas always welcomed them in her garden. The three of them, and Charlotte, would drink tea and laugh happily. Sometimes, Lady Lucas and Grandma Claire would teach Lizzy and Charlotte to take care of flowers.
Those times were gone.
Looking up at the dark sky, Lizzy closed her eyes and let the rain washed away the tears that had formed in her eyes.
She didn't know how long she stayed like that, being comforted by the rain, but it was only when she heard a stone being kicked that she snapped out of her trance. She immediately stood up from her seat and turned to face the newcomer.
"Lord Ashbourne."
-p&p-
Elizabeth couldn't even remember much of what happened after she spoke his title. Her mind usually skipped to the part when he tilted her chin up and the precious moments when they would just suddenly stare at each other's eyes. Of course, the admission of their feelings was the one she wouldn't ever forget. Like the feel of his arms around her and his chest against her cheek, it would forever be in her memory.
After feeling betrayed by the people she trusted and finding that she'd been living a lie, she didn't know that she could still feel happy, especially in such a short amount of time. But Fitzwilliam – she smiled at the thought of his name – proved her wrong. While his declaration of love didn't fix her dilemma with the Lucases and the Gardiners, hearing him say it brought her comfort that filled the gaps of her broken heart.
Elizabeth had already admitted to herself that she liked Fitzwilliam but it wasn't until that moment in the garden when she realized that her feelings for him were much more than that. But when he asked her if she felt the same way, intense blue eyes staring at her, she knew that there was only one answer.
She loved him.
Despite that, she knew his position in society and she knew that if they were going to be together, it would be difficult. So even though all she wanted to do was stay in his embrace since he indirectly proposed to her, she asked him to give them both some time to think more about the matter.
Today marked the end of that time to think.
When she was done with her bath, she wrapped herself in a towel and rang the bell for her abigail. In less than a minute, Alexa entered the room through the servant's door.
Since Lizzy had caught a cold at the Lucas Lodge, she had time to confide to Alexa about Sir William's revelation. Like her, Alexa also had no idea about the truth and while her abigail had been hurt and angered by the information on Lizzy's behalf, she was slightly more welcoming to the Gardiners and Mrs Winters than Lizzy was. But Alexa had told Lizzy that she was a servant and that it was her duty to remain civil to her employers.
"I would like to wear my green frock with light golden lining."
Alexa's eyes widened at her words. "Are you sure, Miss Lizzy?"
Lizzy wasn't surprised. The gown she was referring to was the same gown she had worn on her birthday – or her supposed birthday – about two months ago. Alexa knew that particular gown was a favourite of Lizzy's and that Lizzy only wore it on special occasions.
"Yes," she smiled. No matter what happened at her meeting with Fitzwilliam today, it was a day she would always remember. Whether as the day she had accepted the proposal of the man she loved or the last day she'd see the man she loved, Lizzy was determined to dress her best. And what better way to do that than to wear the same gown she was wearing on their first meeting?
When Alexa had finished assisting her to dress, Elizabeth pulled out a light golden ribbon from her closet and asked Alexa to help her tie it around her waist. Next, she donned on her long gloves of the same colour.
"Are you alright, Miss Lizzy?" Alexa asked looking at her from the mirror as she tied the ribbon. "I know it has been hard for you and I feel bad that I am unable to help you with this situation."
"I still do not know what to feel about these revelations, Alexa," she told her lady's maid truthfully, "but," Fitzwilliam's face flashed in her mind, "I am hoping that it would get better soon."
"I hope so, Miss Lizzy."
The room was filled with silence as Alexa styled Elizabeth's hair in an elaborate bun. Lastly, Alexa assisted Lizzy in wearing her dark green cloak.
"Do you need me to do anything else?" Alexa asked once Lizzy was fully ready.
"Could you please ask Archie to put a side-saddle on Apollo?"
Alexa gave her a questioning look but nodded nonetheless.
Once she was all alone, Elizabeth pulled out a small box from a secret compartment on the floor under her bed. Claire Bennet had shown Lizzy the secret compartment, along with the box months before she passed away. For years, Lizzy had been tempted to wear the item inside the locked box but her grandmother forbade her from doing it.
"No one can know about this, Lizzy, not your sisters or your parents or your friends and you can only wear this once you know the truth about your mother." Grandma Claire – dare she still call her that? –had told her.
"What truth, Grandma?" she had asked.
"The truth that she truly loved you," Claire had smiled. "This," she had opened the small wooden box, making little Lizzy gasp, "was her present for you."
Now, as Lizzy opened the wooden box after procuring the key from the drawer of her nightstand, Elizabeth still couldn't help but gasp. Despite many years of being kept inside a box, the gold hair comb was still as beautiful as the first time she had seen it.
It was small, about three inches wide and the design – which was composed of intricate golden swirls – was about two inches long while its teeth reached up to two and a half inches. But what Elizabeth loved about it the most were the three stones that were placed evenly in between the golden swirls. The one on the left with a deep green colour, Claire Bennet had told her, was an Emerald. The bright blue one on the right was a Lapis and the violet one on the middle was an Amethyst.
After Sir William's and Lady Lucas' revelation, Lizzy finally understood what Grandma Claire meant when she said 'the truth that her mother truly loved her'. Grandma Claire wasn't referring to Mrs Bennet, but to Lizzy's real mother.
And now that Lizzy could either be the happiest or the saddest woman in the county, depending on how her meeting with Fitzwilliam would go, she wanted to wear it with her. It was a part of her identity and it felt right to bring it with her.
She thought that wearing the pin would be as if her real mother was with her. She needed that. If she was going to be with Fitzwilliam, the hair comb would serve as an unseen blessing from her mother. And if today was the last time she'd be able to address the man she loved in his name, then she would need the comfort of her mother from the comb.
Lizzy took out the hair comb from its box and hid the box back to the hiding place on the wooden floor and walked towards the mirror. Her right thumb brushed again the stones before she fastened the comb at the back of her head. Then, she stood sideways in front of the mirror to see if it was secured. Once satisfied, she pulled out a green bonnet with a light golden ribbon and tied it on her head.
Taking a deep breath, she headed towards the drawing room to talk to the Gardiners and Mrs Winters. "I will be riding with Apollo." She stated. Before any of them could protest, "Alexa and Archie may accompany me. If you let me do this, I promise to talk to you once I got back."
After a moment, Mrs Gardiner sighed and nodded.
It was easy to convince Alexa and Archie to wait at the foot of Oakham Mount. However, her abigail told her that after a quarter of an hour, she and Archie would begin making their way up. Lizzy agreed to this.
Before she could reach the top of Oakham Mount, she had already spotted Fitzwilliam on Boreas' back meeting her halfway. The closer they got to one another, the more Elizabeth felt nervous. She tightened her grip on Apollo's reins. Was she really ready for this? What if she wouldn't be able to face the outcome of this meeting?
Since the two of them were very good horsemen - or horsewoman in her case - they had already reached the top before Elizabeth's thoughts could consume her. Upon noticing the soft smile on his face and the flowers in his right hand, Elizabeth knew at once that she had nothing to be nervous about.
They got off their horses silently and tied their companions to a branch of a nearby tree.
"Are you fully recovered from your cold?" He asked, turning to her. "I wanted to check on you when we were still staying at Lucas Lodge but I promised to give you the space you need. I hope that you did not see my actions as a sign that I changed my mind."
"I am fully recovered, thank you." She replied, before looking at him nervously, "D-does this mean that you haven't changed your mind?"
Instead of answering her question, he got down on one knee and held up the flowers to her, while his other hand took hold of her right hand. "Dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth, you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. My affections and wishes are unchanged and I doubt that they ever would. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
With tears in her eyes, she beamed at him and nodded, "Yes."
Fitzwilliam beamed back at her and kissed her hand before placing the bundle of flowers in her hold.
"You have dimples!" She exclaimed happily. She had never seen it before, perhaps because she had also never seen him smile as wide as he was smiling now.
"Yes," he said laughingly, "and, now, I also have your heart."
She blushed but didn't avert her gaze. "And I have yours, so we are even."
"That, you do."
For a few minutes, they sat on the roots of a huge tree and continued to bask in their newfound happiness, exchanging smiles and words of love in between conversations and debates about literature. At one point, they even had a tree-climbing competition, which she had won.
"'tis not a fair battle, Elizabeth. I am heavier than you."
She gasped, feigning hurt, "Are you calling me fat, Fitzwilliam?"
"I would never dare, Madam. If anything, I am calling myself fat."
She laughed.
A few more minutes of bantering later and Elizabeth proposed that they should start climbing down. After dusting off her cloak and checking for possible damage to her clothes (thank goodness there wasn't any), she turned to her fiancé – the word made her smile – and asked: "Who will we ask for permission, Fitzwilliam?"
"We will talk to the Gardiners and inquire about everything they know. Then, we will see who could give us their blessing to marry us."
She nodded in agreement. "I told my aunt –" she paused, "Mrs Gardiner and her husband that I will talk to them once I got back. Perhaps, you could join me? But only if you have time to do so, of course."
"I do not think I could part from you yet, my love." He reached for her hand that wasn't holding the flowers he brought for her. "Fortunately for us, I do have time to join you later."
"Thank you," she said wholeheartedly before bringing their joined hands up and pressing her lips at the back of his hand.
No more than a minute later, Alexa and Archie arrived and Elizabeth immediately stood up from her seat. Turning to her betrothed, she smiled, "Shall we race our way to the Dower House, my love?"
Without waiting for his response, she stood up on a thick root of a tree to improve her height and helped herself up mount Apollo sideways before trotting away from her stunned fiancé. She was going to take advantage of his stupor. After all, it was the first time she addressed him that way… and it wasn't going to be the last.
-p&p-
Alexa Digby was surprised to see Miss Lizzy with the Marquess, but upon seeing the smiles on both their faces, her surprise turned to happiness. After the revelation weighing down on Miss Lizzy these past few days, Alexa was glad that she got to see her mistress happy again.
However, she still wished that Miss Lizzy didn't just appear and disappear as she did now. While she had learned to endure long walks because of Miss Lizzy, she had just arrived! Perhaps, Miss Lizzy had forgotten that she and Archie were following her on foot.
She shook her head. Knowing Miss Lizzy, she probably did this on purpose to spend some more time alone with the Marquess.
Turning to Archie, she sighed, "I guess we have to go back now."
"We do."
"Ye don't mind us joinin', do ye?" Alexa turned at the source and saw Jacobs, one of the Marquess' personal guards, sitting atop of a horse. "I think the Marquess want some alone time with the Miss."
Beside him, Carson, another one of the Marquess' guards, appeared also sitting atop of a horse. "I s'pose I made the right decision to come while still suffering from a cough. Else, I woulda missed the first time he smiled that wide."
It looked like she wasn't the only servant who was happy for the couple.
-p&p-
Whether it was the fact that Apollo got startled by a squirrel or that she was much more used to riding astride than sideways, Elizabeth still didn't expect to almost fell off her horse. Thank goodness that Fitzwilliam managed to catch her just in time, and he did it while he was still atop of Boreas.
Unfortunately for them, some of her hair had somehow managed to tangle itself into the buttons of his coat, resulting in an awkward position. For Elizabeth's part, she was stiff, her back still on the verge of falling and though Fitzwilliam's arms were supporting her, she was afraid that she could still fall down anytime. Thank goodness both their horses were well trained.
Every second that passed made her sweat. Thankfully, after some fumbling, Fitzwilliam managed to remove her hair from his buttons. When he assisted her to an upright position, she furrowed her brows at him. "I do not understand. How did that happen when I was wearing a bonnet?"
"You have some loose strands in your hair from riding and climbing the tree earlier, Elizabeth."
She pursed her lips. "But still!"
"I think it is a sign that you should not be boasting your skills. You may be the better tree-climber but what happened makes me the better horseman." When she narrowed her eyes at him playfully, he quickly added, "But, truly, I think it is a sign that even your hair tells us that we should be together."
She laughed at his response and removed her bonnet to fix her hair. However, her laughter stopped when she only felt her hair at the back of her head. Where was her hair comb? Without a second thought, she immediately jumped off Apollo and looked at the grass below them.
"What's wrong?" Fitzwilliam asked, copying her movements.
"My hair comb, I think it may have fallen down."
"I'll help you look for it."
After a full minute of not seeing any sign of it, Elizabeth was starting to panic. That was the only thing she had from her mother.
When Fitzwilliam noticed her current state, he suggested that he would buy her another hair comb if they did not manage to find it. Because of this, she unwittingly broke her promise to her Grandma Claire and told him everything he knew about it.
Now, knowing that it was from her real mother, Fitzwilliam looked harder than before. A few minutes of still no result, Elizabeth huffed in frustration, throwing her hands in the air, and to her surprise, she heard Fitzwilliam's laughter.
"What is so funny?"
"You, my love," he smiled, "are adorable. Your hair comb, it turned out, was caught by your bonnet before it could fall down. So when you threw your arms in the air like that, the hair comb fell out of your bonnet." With that, he held up her hands and showed her the hair comb.
Silently, Elizabeth chastised herself for not checking her bonnet before. Still, she couldn't help but enthusiastically run to Fitzwilliam at the sight of her most prized possession in his hands.
"Thank you for helping me in finding it and I'm sorry for making you sweat for nothing. I should've realised that it could be in my bonnet earlier."
"Nonsense, if you are going to be my wife, then I look forward to having these kinds of moments with you."
As he said this, Elizabeth noticed that his eyes were trained on her lips. This made her look at his own lips where his sweet words were coming from. She licked her lips. Her throat felt dry. Was it just her or did he seem to be getting closer to her? Just when she could feel his breath against her face, a sudden neigh made them jump apart.
Oh my, were they just about to – she blushed at the thought, her gaze moving to their horses that caused the sound.
"So," Fitzwilliam cleared his throat, and looked at the item in his hands, examining it. "This hair comb is from your mother, huh?"
"Yes," she confirmed still looking down, embarrassed at what almost happened. "That was what Grandma – er, Claire Bennet – told me. It is beautiful, is it not?"
When she didn't hear him respond, Elizabeth finally looked up at him. To her surprise, he was still looking at the hair comb. But unlike before, the comb was turned back and he seemed to be in a trance. Gone were the smile and the flush on his face, replaced by a serious look with furrowed brows.
"Fitzwilliam?"
Uh-oh, it seemed that has stopped working. I wonder why… Tune in to the next chapter to find out!
Meanwhile, we're starting to uncover the title of this story!
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Next Chapter coming after 5 hours :D
