Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed, and for being patient with me for being so slow in updating . . .I was just in a car accident and broke my pelvis of all things, so getting around to my computer has been a bit of a challenge...plus sitting for long periods of time in a a wheel chair kinda hurts...but enough about me on with the story...

Many thanks to my beta reader, you are a dream to work with! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

PS . . . I still do not own anything here except the new plot twists . . . lol!

Chapter 7

"Elizabeth, darling, do you truly mean that? Wake up Lizzie so that I may look into your eyes when you speak those priceless words to me again"William said as he gently shook Elizabeth, trying to wake her.

As Elizabeth woke up and fully realized what she had just admitted to Mr. Darcy, she could not quite look him in the eyes, afraid of what he would see. Although true, she had never meant for those words to ever escape her lips, least of all in front of the man himself. Her mind was racing, trying to find a plausible excuse to explain what had just happened.

"I beg your pardon sir, but what priceless words did I just speak? The last thing I recall was riding on your horse into Lambton. How did I get up here, as why for God's sakes are you here with me? This whole affair is completely improper and immoral! Please leave at once, so that we may avoid any scandal that may occur from this unseemly event. My family has enough scandal on their plates as it is already" Elizabeth said, trying her best to convince him that she had no memory of what had just happened. It was the first excuse to come to mind, and seeming fairly plausible, she hadn't given her heart time to catch up with her mind and had forged ahead with her usual quick tongue.

"Elizabeth, do you really expect me to believe you when I have absolutely no way to prove all that you say is true? How do I know that you are not just making excuses to try and ease yourself out of a potentially sticky situation? No, I heard the words and chose to accept them and hold you accountable for them. You said you loved me, words I have longed to hear from your lips for far too long a time, only to cast them off because you say you do not recall saying them. Truly, I know you spoke the truth, and meant it. We both know you do not love my cousin, as you yourself have admitted to not only Fitz, but myself as well. Look me in the eyes and tell me you did not mean them Elizabeth" Mr. Darcy replied, visibly anxious for her answer.

She looked up into his eyes and knew at once she could lie to him, not about such a serious matter, not again. "It's hopeless Mr. Darcy, truly. It is. There is no future for us. You must see that. It doesn't matter how I feel, I have already promised myself to your cousin, and cannot break the engagement, not matter how I truly feel. It has only been recently that I realized that I do care for you, and I have tried to come to terms with the truth, but don't you see how difficult you can make it? I imagine it is no picnic to be in love with me, but you make it so much worse. Always reminding me of my inferior position in life, my lack of contacts, my shameful family! And them to say you love me, and expect me to be uninjured from your words! Do you realize how deeply they have wounded me? So yes, I do care for you, so deeply, but it is to no point! We could never make each other happy, only inflict pain and suffering on one another! So, please, before you try to convince to break my engagement, DO NOT!" Elizabeth finished, her eyes stinging for tears she would not, nay could not let fall.

Mr. Darcy stared into her glowing brown eyes and was lost. He found he could not argue with her, could not inflict any more pain on the already overwhelmed girl, his dearest love. He picked up her hands which laid entwined with each other, fingers grasping at themselves, gently kissed them and laid them back down before replying to her.

"Very well, My Dear. If that is what you truly desire, so be it. I will not try to force myself on you any longer. I only ask one last kiss from you before we go on our separate ways. Please, just one last kiss to remember you by."

'How can any feeling, compassionate human being deny such a request, especially when uttered in such a heartbreaking fashion?' Elizabeth thought. "You cannot" she whispered before gently nodding her head and allowing Mr. Darcy to gently cup her face in his large, warm hands. When he held her face, she was shocked to realize that he was trembling, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw all of the sorrow of the world lying there, as if nothing could ever make him truly happy again. So she kissed him. With all of the feeling in her being, pouring her very essence and soul into that one kiss, trying to convey her true feelings to him, saying what she could not.

When he groaned and deepened the kiss, she made no move to stop him, even if she had wanted to he wouldn't have allowed it. If this was truly the last time he was to hold her in his arms, to feel her lips beneath his, to make her his, he was going to show her just what she would be missing. His tongue plundered her mouth mercilessly, finding he could not go slow, or allow himself to be gentle. He was desperate with his need for her, running his hands up and down her back, her arms, her breasts. When she gently whimpered, he softened his lips and kissed and trail from her mouth to her ear, gently taking the lobe in his mouth and suckling it.

Shivers ran up and down her spine, hot and cold combating with each other, trying to take over her body. She drove her fingers into his dark wavy locks, holding his head to her ear, her neck, anywhere she could get him, knowing their time was limited and quickly coming to an end. She felt that if she just held him, kept him close, he would never have to leave. The rest of the world would never find them, and they would spend the rest of their days wrapped up in one another. And to think she brought this all upon herself, her pride not allowing her to admit her true feelings, all because he had dared to speak the truth.

Mr. Darcy pulled away only when he felt her tears on his face. He looked at her shadowed eyes, the tears spilling out like raindrops out of a cloud, her mouth trembling. "My darling girl, how I love you. You must always know that. No matter what happens, I will always love you. You are my soul, my very heart. It breaks me inside to know that you will never belong to me, but to another man. That he will touch you like this, and love you when I cannot. Do not cry, love, please. It will be all right for you. He loves you, and will do whatever he can to make you happy. And if he doesn't, just remember that I will always be there for you. If he ever doesn't realize what a treasure he has, I will physically beat it into his head."

"I know William, I know. I... I love you too. So much. So greatly. I will think of you on my wedding night, pretend it is you kissing me, making love to me. Then mabey, I can find a way to bear it. Now you must leave, you must or I shall never be able to let you go. Always remember me like this William. Full of love and desire, for you, my only love." She rose from the bed, leading him to the door. Before she opened it, she took his face in her hands, kissed his eyes, his nose, each of his cheeks, before gently kissing his mouth, then quickly opening the door and shoving him through it. He heard her lean against the closed door, made a move to open it, changed his mind and fled down the hallway out to his horse, letting no one stop him. This was the hardest thing he had ever done, letting her go. He rode his horse hard, not allowing it to slow until they reached the gates of Pemberly.

He leapt off his horse, threw the reigns to the groom and quickly made his way to his room. Throwing himself on the bed, he allowed himself to remember her face, flushed with her passion for him, tears brimming in her brilliant eyes, lips swollen from his kisses, and knew that he could never see her like that again. He quickly undressed and fell into a dreamless sleep, a sleep that lasted two days before anyone dared to enter his room to see if his was well. Unfortunately, the wrong person chose to check up on him. When Mr. Darcy opened his eyes and saw Fitz William, his first reaction was to exact revenge on the person responsible for making his life miserable. He sat up and punched Fitz squarely on the nose.

"Darcy, what in Gods name was that for?" Fitz yelled while holding his bleeding nose.

"Congratulations, of course" William replied before walking out the door.

Authors Note:

PHEW! That had been building up in me for the last month and I simply HAD to get it out on paper, so to speak. Please review and let me know if you can see where this is going, if you like where it's going, or if you think I'm completely bonkers . . . all of which are ok with me :-)