Hello everyone! This is just a fun little one-shot that came to me a few days ago and I absolutely had to write. I hope you enjoy it and that you take the time to let me know! This scene is set in the original P&P story, during Elizabeth's visit to Pemberley. She has encountered Darcy unexpectedly and Darcy has given her "The Look." The next morning, at the inn, Elizabeth has not received Jane's letters when Darcy comes to call. What does he intend to do?

The next day was fair and Elizabeth's aunt and uncle expressed a wish to walk through the town of Lambton, and perhaps call on childhood friends of Mrs. Gardiner. Elizabeth declined as she had several letters to write, but she said she might join them later if possible. Seeing that their niece was content to be on her own for the morning the Gardiners left her at the inn.

Elizabeth's first letter was to be to Jane, for she had not heard anything from her sister in nearly a week. But she had barely sat down in front of the desk and dipped her pin in the inkwell when there was a rap on the door and Mr. Darcy was announced.

Elizabeth's heart gave a quick flutter as he entered the room. She was struck by the similarity of this event to a certain event in Kent in April. Then, as now, Darcy had come upon her when she was alone and not likely to be interrupted. Had he seen her aunt and uncle leaving and chosen that time to call on her? Possibly; but she thought it more likely that his arrival in their absence was a coincidence.

Darcy sat down and resolved the question at once by inquiring after her aunt and uncle. She told him they were out and added that they were "not likely to come back for some time, as they are calling on friends they have not seen in many years." She waited to see if this information would make Darcy more likely to leave or to stay.

That Darcy was surprised by the news was evident, but he did not take the opportunity to make his excuses and leave. He pulled his chair closer to hers and leaned towards her as if to speak. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he stood and paced the length of the room. Elizabeth's surprise and astonishment only grew as he came to stand in front of her and addressed her earnestly.

"Miss Bennet, I will not pretend that I came here today to call on your aunt and uncle. Rather, I was hoping to see you. There is a question I would like to put to you, but I am afraid of placing us both in an uncomfortable position."

She colored and shifted in her seat, with a sudden suspicion of what he might be about to ask. "I have no objection."

"I have long been wondering about the fate of the letter I put into your hands after our meeting in Kent. Indeed, it has weighed on my mind more than I can say. May I ask if you read it?"

Elizabeth answered, very concisely, that she had.

"And did it," he asked, with a heightened expression, "did it make you think differently of me at all? Did you give any credit to its contents, or did it have no effect at all on your opinions and feelings?"

It was Elizabeth's turn to hesitate. She was not entirely certain what Darcy meant to ask. Did he want to know if she had revised her feelings and opinions of his character, or was he hinting at a question with far greater significance? She feared to say either too little or too much, to discourage him without meaning to do so, or to perhaps embarrass him by accepting an offer he had not intended to renew. He might, after all, be determined to be polite without being in love.

"My thoughts and feelings," she finally answered, "were in such a tumult when I first read the letter that I could scarcely take it all in. At first I was disinclined by my own prejudice to believe anything I read. But after some reflection I began to feel the justice in what you wrote."

"So you believed me!" he exclaimed, with evident relief. "I am sorry, deeply sorry, for any pain my words may have brought you. There were certain words and turns of phrase, particularly with the opening, that I cannot think of now without shame."

"I did not take them so. I felt only pain and regret at the part I played that day."

"Pain!" he repeated. "Regret! Those were the last feelings I hoped to inspire in you. I was, in fact, hoping to bring about quite the opposite."

Elizabeth was much too embarrassed to say a word. Darcy stepped closer to her and said, in a low voice, "Seeing you at Pemberley has inspired me as never before to be a gentleman worthy of inspiring your affection. If you are going to send me away again, I beg you, do so now, before I begin to hope."

Her heart pulsed madly in her ears and she looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "My feelings have changed," she managed to choke out,"so much that I scarcely recognize them. Indeed, I scarcely recognize myself."

"Is it possible," he asked, after what seemed like a dreadful pause, "that one day you might allow me to bring you to Pemberley, not as a guest, but as my wife?" He waited anxiously for her response.

"I think," she answered carefully, "that if you ask me the same question now that you asked me in April, you are likely to receive a very different response."

Darcy knelt down next to where she sat, bringing his head to the level of her own. "Then do you accept me? Will you make me the happiest man on earth by agreeing to marry me?"

"I will," she answered, finally daring to lift her face to his and meet his eyes. "I do."

There followed a few precious moments where all was nearly silent between them, as two hearts came together, and they expressed their feelings in the way lovers do, with embraces, caresses, and tender affirmations of affection. When they were able to speak again Darcy said, "I was afraid you would never forgive me for the insufferable way I spoke to you in Hunsford!"

"And I was afraid you would never know that I realized how wrong I was. I thought I would never have a chance to express my regret for the untrue and unkind things I said."

"How were you wrong? For although your information may have been mistaken, based on a faulty foundation, yet in essentials you were correct. My behavior since meeting you had been abominable. I cannot think of it without abhorrence."

"Mine was scarcely better. Yet I hope we have both learned from the past, and that we will never repeat it again. You must learn some of my philosophy. Think of the past only as it brings you pleasure."

"Dearest Elizabeth! I cannot promise never to disappoint you, but I can promise that from this day forward, I will be a better man because of having you in my life."

"If you can always be as you have been these last two days, I think that shall be more than enough."

Darcy now asked her about her arrival at Pemberley, which had been the catalyst to bring them together. "Was it your idea to visit Pemberley on your northern tour, or did that come from your aunt and uncle?"

"If it were up to me we would not have come within ten miles of Pemberley! But my aunt was so insistent that it would have been awkward to decline, and we were told you were away. If I had known your plans would change I would have done everything in my power to avoid meeting you."

"I am glad that you did not know, for if you had not come to Pemberley I think it very unlikely that we should have met again."

"So you did not blame me for coming?"

"Not at all. I was surprised at first, but then I realized by your manner that you felt at least as uncomfortable as I did. After that I tried my best to be calm and dignified, to show you that I had taken your reproofs to heart, and that I was not so mean as to resent the past. Shortly after that I resolved that I would take every possible opportunity to see if I could win your heart."

"How long did it take you to move from being embarrassed to see me to resolving to change my mind?" she asked, giving him an arch look.

"I cannot say for certain, but I believe about half an hour after meeting you."

Their conversation turned to Georgiana when Darcy told her how much pleasure his sister had found in Elizabeth's company, and how she longed to see her again. "She has always wished for a sister, and when she finds out about our engagement I expect she will be overjoyed. She could not stop talking about your kindness, your charm, and the easy way you have of drawing her into conversation."

"Miss Darcy is a delightful young lady, and I look forward to coming to know her not just as a friend but as a sister."

"Which shall be as soon as possible, I hope. When can we be married, my dearest?"

Elizabeth could not help laughing. "There is the little matter, first, of applying to my father for my hand! Though I am not afraid of his refusal I fear he will be rather shocked to hear of the new understanding between us. He will want to know all the particulars of how it came about.".

"He can have all the particulars he wants as long as I can have his consent. I am rather curious myself. I never dreamed that you would so quickly change your opinion of me! I thought I would be lucky if you read my letter, and if I was very lucky you might perhaps dislike me a little less. I did not dare hope for more than that."

"A very little less," she replied, teasingly. "My changed opinion may seem unexpected to you, but I have had months to see the truth in what you said and to wish that I had done differently. Once I saw you again in person other emotions had a chance to come to the fore." Darcy responded to this declaration with several more tokens of his affection, and there was no conversation for several minutes.

Thinking of telling her father about Darcy naturally made Elizabeth think of the reactions the rest of her family was likely to have. In particular there was one family member whose response to the news she could not predict.

"I shall have much to explain to Jane. There is a great deal I have never told her about our conversation in Kent." Elizabeth saw a shadow fall across Darcy's face.

"Yes, and I shall have to explain to Bingley. I still have not confessed to him my part in separating him from your sister. I intended to before now, but I always hesitated, knowing what a painful conversation it is likely to be. But there can be no more putting it off. I shall have to confess my folly before he is thrown into company with Miss Bennet again."

"How do you think he is likely to react?"

"I cannot tell. Bingley is the most generous of men, but even he has his limits. Finding out that his friend was the means of separating him from the woman he loved may be too much even for his good nature. He may cut me off."

Elizabeth remained silent. Her own wish would be for Bingley to hear Darcy's confession and then ride immediately to Longbourn to declare himself. But many months had passed since Bingley and Jane had last seen each other and Bingley had never attempted to repair the breach. Most likely his attention and affection were entirely over. It was a painful but not improbable conjecture. "I suppose we should go and find my aunt and uncle now," she said instead. "It appears that we have a great deal to tell them!"

Darcy agreed with her and took up his hat again. Elizabeth began to put on her pelisse but before she could fasten the buttons, the maid came in with two letters for Elizabeth.

"Two letters from Jane!" she exclaimed. "What a treat! We have not heard a word from anyone at Longbourn for these ten days or more. These must have been missent, and no wonder, for Jane wrote the direction on the second one remarkably ill!"

"Do you want to read them now?" Darcy asked. "Or would you prefer to see your aunt and uncle first and attend to the letters later?"

"I think we should find my aunt and uncle first," Elizabeth decided, "knowing what an important communication we need to make. I can open the letters from Jane this afternoon or evening. After all, they likely contain nothing of importance."

This story is now included as a part of "Stories to Make You Smile," available on Amazon. Have a great weekend! -Elaine Owen