AN: At this point Mrs. Bennet just found out about E & D engagement the night before. So no one besides the Bennet family and Bingley yet know about it yet. I don't think Georgiana or the Colonel would have received their letters yet either... enjoy!


The next morning, Mrs. Bennet was up before Elizabeth—a rare occurrence. Her loud voice resonated in the upstairs hall of Longbourn agonizing on what to wear, the laziness of her daughters, and what neighbors must be impressed upon. Elizabeth buried her head under the pillows hoping that her dreams had taken a less favorable turn.

Jane's muffled, voice mumbled, "Good Morning, Lizzy." before emitting an unladylike yawn.

"Lizzy!" Mrs. Bennet yelled as she banged on the door. "Hurry! We must get up and dressed to visit our neighbors." It is lucky for the ladies hiding under the counterpane that their mother was easily distracted and so did not venture into their sanctuary. When her footsteps retreated to her room, both girls came out of hiding with an incredulous looks upon their faces.

"There shall be no peace until we are both safely married," said Elizabeth.

Jane was ever the gentle sister, "Mama is very happy for you and I. Let us get up and humor her; it is her right as a mother. She was deeply saddened when she did not get the opportunity to plan Lydia's wedding breakfast or call on neighbors with her engaged daughter."

Elizabeth sighed and agreed that there was no excuse that could accomplish the feat of evading their mother for long.

Once they were dressed and assembled over the morning meal it was decided that the ladies would walk to Meryton to call at their Aunt Phillips. Elizabeth thought that a marvelous plan since it would negate the necessity of sharing her good fortune with all of the Meryton populace; Mrs. Phillips can always be counted on to spread worthy news. Mr. Bennet seemed overly happy to sacrifice his daughters to the neighborhood gossips. Mary was the only sister who would not be moved to join their calling party.

The Bennet ladies hurried to get their outerwear and bonnets on before setting off for town. Elizabeth and Jane trailed behind conversing on what was expected of them before they are wed and then speculated on future duties as mistresses of their own houses. In truth, they wanted to discuss how to check their mother's enthusiasm; however that is not a subject that can be discussed with Mrs. Bennet only a few meters ahead.

Just as they neared the town, Jane commented that she hoped they did not miss Mr. Darcy or Mr. Bingley when they stopped at Longbourn. Elizabeth agreed and was silent. The last couple days still seemed like a dream to her—a wish come true.

In minutes the group heard male laughter and trotting horses.

Mr. Darcy was anxious to leave Netherfield this morning. His eagerness to see Elizabeth was extreme because today they were officially betrothed. He did an about face before venturing into the breakfast room early when he glimpsed Miss Bingley awaiting him (apparently in a state of impatience if her tapping fingers and slipper were any indication); instead he headed toward the library. Miss Bingley never willingly entered the library.

Darcy closed the door lamenting the forgotten book on his nightstand until he remembered that he had a letter to write. He took up a quill and paper at the secretary to write to his solicitor, Mr. Banks. He outlined what he required the settlement papers to contain so that once in London it would only be necessary to review, update, and sign.

The contents of the letter stated that the settlement should be fashioned after the agreement between the late Mr. Darcy and Anne Fitzwilliam, accounting for inflation. Any coverture endowed by Mr. Bennet should be preserved for any children resulting from their union. In the event of his death, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy shall remain the mistress of Pemberley and in control of the Darcy holdings as long as she lives, until his heir comes of age, or if they do not have children… etcetera.

Three quarters of an hour, and nearly three pages later, Darcy stamped his signet ring into a spot of red wax, sealing the letter. He then went in search of his personal messenger before meeting Mr. Bingley and Miss Bingley for breakfast.

"Oh, Mr. Darcy, Good morning!" Miss Bingley simpered as he took a seat across from her, "Here let me pour you a cup of coffee. I already prepared a plate for you. Would you care for some preserves? It is such a nice morning. I thought you might join me for a walk."

Mr. Darcy was not inclined to encourage her. He looked over at Bingley, who was smirking over his cup, and said, "I am afraid that I have matters that will take me to Meryton today. Bingley, you will join me?"

"Certainly! We should also call at Longbourn. That reminds me," Bingley turned to his sister, "Caroline, I invited the Bennet family over to dine with us tomorrow. They should arrive after tea. Please make arrangements with the housekeeper. You always plan such splendid dinner parties." He hoped to sufficiently appeal to her vanity to encourage her to leave a positive impression on the family. Bingley then said to his friend, "We can leave the moment you finish Darcy. I have already requested our horses to be saddled."

Miss Bingley did not look pleased.

The two gentlemen were relieved to escape from Netherfield and Miss Bingley's incessant schemes. Mr. Bingley acknowledged that he felt like a lad who managed to sneak out to evade studies. Mr. Darcy was amused but would not admit to feeling like a silly young man. He was just happy to be riding out to see Elizabeth, and happier still that the distance was brief.

"Bingley, have you ever thought of ways to dampen your sister's behavior? Perhaps arranging a marriage for her?" Darcy was only half kidding about the marriage, although there have been successful marriages made from arrangement.

"I do not have the heart to remove her choice in the matter. Besides, the moment the fellow heard her screech he would rend the agreement and swim across the channel!" They both laughed at the jest, visualizing the circumstance. It was at this moment they happened to see the Bennet ladies.

The gentlemen jumped from their mounts and greeted the Bennets with bows.

"My word! How lucky it was that we chanced upon you or we would have greatly missed your company when we reached Longbourn." Mr. Bingley exclaimed.

Mrs. Bennet answered, "Why, thank you, Mr. Bingley, and you too, Mr. Darcy. We were walking to my sister Phillips house to call. Perhaps you can join us later for tea? I would so like to hear about your estate, Mr. Darcy." Mrs. Bennet had the habit of fawning over the object of her joy, but was in so much awe of her future son-in-law, that she couldn't bring herself to say more.

Her spiel was enough to convey to Darcy that Mrs. Bennet was no longer ignorant of his betrothal with her second daughter. He nodded in acknowledgement and said, "We gladly accept. May we escort you to the Phillips'?" The ladies had no desire to decline so they began walking again with Mr. Bingley next to Jane and Mr. Darcy by Elizabeth trailing behind.

"Good Morning, Mr. Darcy." Elizabeth greeted warmly as she took his offered arm. He released the horse's bridle and put the reins over his shoulder to free his hand and offer her his full attention as they walked.

Darcy smiled at her, "It is indeed. My morning is certainly improving, though I am sorry that I will be without your company while you call on your Aunt. I imagine all of Meryton will hear of our engagement by the time we sit for tea."

Elizabeth laughed. "I am without a doubt that news shall travel around London parlors by this time tomorrow."

Darcy looked pained. He took her dainty hand off his arm to bestow a kiss on her knuckle. His action told her that he was not distressed only weary of the masses. The Ton were not a congenial group and he would prefer to shield her from any unpleasantness. Although he has successfully managed to avoid most events in the Season, he was not oblivious to the talk. At least the talk that involved him. Their impending nuptials will encourage gossip and bitterness in the hearts of unmarried hopefuls.

"What is your horse called?" She hoped to steer the conversation while they still had the opportunity to converse.

Darcy looked to the horse and patted his neck fondly. "This is Caerus. You are a good spirit, are you not?" Not expecting an answer from the beast, Darcy turned back to Elizabeth. "My sister names many of the horses in the stable, but did not get to this one before me. His grandsire was a favorite of my mother's. I have never asked; do you ride? I would enjoy riding with you."

"I am fond of horses. However, I have not had very much opportunity to improve my equestrian skills. The horses my father keeps are not often available for leisure rides."

"Then, if you are agreeable, we shall have to find opportunity. There are many walking paths at Pemberley, but some of my favorite places on the property are too far to venture on foot." Darcy could scarcely hide his hope for her agreement to the proposal. If Elizabeth consented to ride out with him soon, they would have another occupation to amuse themselves before they are wed.

"With inducements such as Pemberley to look forward to, I could be persuaded." She thought of the beautiful grounds fondly and with anticipation. "Quite easily, in fact."

"I am glad." Mr. Darcy meant many things in this simple statement. He was overjoyed at the prospect of sharing his love of horseback riding with her; even more so with the expectation that she would come to love Pemberley as much as he. In recent years it had been necessary for Mr. Darcy to split his time between London and Derbyshire, but his greatest wish was to settle at Pemberley with Elizabeth for the majority of the year.

At this time they arrived at her Aunt Phillips home. The door burst open and Mrs. Phillips came out to eagerly welcome her sister and nieces. She noticed the gentlemen and curtsied, "Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, how do you do?" She was curious at the proximity of Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth, having already heard of Jane and Bingley's betrothal. After all, when one wedding is forthcoming other couples will naturally follow suit. Mr. Darcy would be quite the conquest for a young lady.

Darcy noticed the look from his soon-to-be Aunt and nodded. He returned his gaze to Elizabeth communicating his discomfort before taking his leave. "Good Morning, Miss Elizabeth. I hope you enjoy the time with your Aunt." He took her hand off his arm again and kissed it after stepping to the side. "I look forward to tea."

Mr. Bingley was distracted by Mrs. Phillips while Darcy was taking his leave of Elizabeth. When Bingley responded that they were very well on this lovely day, she continued, "I understand that you will soon join our happy family, Mr. Bingley. I am sure that you and my niece will make a good match. It is all so exciting!"

Bingley bowed, "Thank you, Ma'am. It will be a pleasure. Darcy and I will leave you ladies to visit." Both gentlemen wished the ladies a good day and mounted their horses leaving Jane and Elizabeth at the mercy of their relations.

They began to discuss other things to prepare while the Bennet ladies visited. They decided to stop by the church in order to converse with the vicar about arrangements for the banns to be read and inquire about an appropriate timeframe for the weddings.

AN: Thank you for your wonderful feedback and your patience! I am used to jumping around when I write, so I am trying to think of everything so I don't have to go back to edit the story. It seems that the characters are writing their own story and might begin diverging from Miss Austen's in the next couple chapters…

Have any ideas about dinner with Miss Bingley? I want to make Darcy's engagement quite the surprise!