Their nightly meetings over hot chocolate became a routine. Every evening without fail, he would show up with his tray. They would spend hours discussing everything and nothing.
"I wish to know everything about you Elizabeth" He had stated.
"Perhaps we should play 20 inquiries" Lizzy suggested. It was Lydia's favorite game to play with the soldiers.
"I have not played since I was a lad" Mr. Darcy admitted.
"I shall start then" She stated. "What is you favorite color?" She asked. He smiled at the basic question.
"Blue. I wish to ask the same question" He stated.
"Green" She answered. "And your birthday?" She asked.
"The second of July, and yours?"
"The seventh of June"
They continued to play this game until they were certain they had covered all of the basics.
Within two weeks, she had regained the weight she lost, and her skin was once again brown from her walks about the Pemberely landscapes. Georgiana or Mr. Darcy would accompany her. She found the young Miss Darcy to be a sweet, albeit sad, young woman. She was melancholy, and spoke little of herself.
She was no longer haunted by as many dreams. She felt safe in the beautiful estate. She had seen the real Mr. Darcy, a young man who had been put through the worse situations in life at such a tender age, a man who guarded his feelings by adopting an indifferent manner, lest he be hurt, and her favorite side of him, a man who delighted in making her smile.
Three weeks into her married life, Mr. Darcy knocked on her door later then usual. She called for him to enter from her parlor, where she sat trying to compose a letter to Jane. Mr. Darcy entered with the usual hot chocolate and pastries, but with several noticeable differences. One, he was dressed in rather formal clothing, two he was pacing and looking quite nervous, and three, he had a rose upon the tray. Lizzy arched a brow.
"Miss Elizabeth" He stated, bowing. She smiled and held out her hand for him to kiss. She had never seen him act so carefree.
"Mr. Darcy" She replied, enjoying the playful side of him.
"Miss Elizabeth, I come to your chambers a humble man." He knelt in front of her. "I have written to your father. I must now profess how lovely I find you, how beautiful you are, and many other sweet nothings that have quite escaped me in my nerves. So to cut to the point, Miss Elizabeth, shall you do me the greatest honor of allowing me to court you?" He asked with a mischievous smile. She laughed at him.
"Are you mocking me kind lady?" He asked. She nodded.
"I would like nothing more then to be courted by you, my husband, sir" She managed to say through her giggles.
"Ah, witty as ever!" He exclaimed. He was thrilled that she playing along. "A rose, for the lady" He passed her the beautiful pink flower. "I thought of quoting Shakespeare, but I know you find poetry fatal to courtships"
"I am glad" She told him, twirling the beautiful rose in her hand.
Mrs. Reynolds, who was privy to the slight discord between the master and the mistress of the estate, was the one who suggested to Mr. Darcy that he should try woo-ing the new Mrs. Darcy, as if they had not been forced to marry.
For a month he courted her as if they were not already married, walking about the gardens with Georgiana as a chaperone, sneaking kisses upon her hand, etc. However, he soon decided that buying her small gifts was a much better idea. He delighted in the look upon her face as she tore open a package, whether it revealed her favorite book, or simply a new piece of lace, she was always delighted.
One particular evening he presented her with another piece of jewelry. She recognized the black velvet box as such, and wondered what it could be. She gently pried the velvet top off, revealing a beautiful choker necklace. It was heavy, dark silver. It met in the front with what looked to be a crest of some sort. Hanging from the crest was a large peridot stone.
"Tis beautiful" She whispered, admiring the intricate metal work, and the large seemingly raw peridot in the middle.
"It was supposed to be your wedding gift, but the maker took longer then expected to fix it" He told her. She lifted up her hair, and motioned for him to clasp it about her neck. "It is a tradition in the Darcy family to present the bride with this choker. The silver is over 300 years old. It is passed from mother, to son. Each time it is given to a new wife, the stone is to be changed" He told her. She took her looking glass to examine what she now knew to be the Darcy crest.
"I chose the peridot to match your eyes" He told her. "Do you like it?" Blinking away her tears she nodded.
"I love it" She told him honestly. She fingered the necklace again, a thought coming to her. "What stone did your mother have?" She asked.
"An emerald. She was very fond of emeralds" He told her. He had not yet spoken much about his parents.
"Like the necklace you gave me before the wedding" She prompted. He smiled faintly at her.
"She loved that necklace. It has been in my family for even longer then that" He gently touched the crested necklace.
"Tell me about her, please" Lizzy asked of him. There was something in her eyes that made him speak.
"She looked quite similar to Georgiana, but not so tall. She was softer somehow, yet loud and opinionated, much like yourself" He smiled at her. "She always had a weak disposition. My father married her for her dowry. She was the daughter of an Earl. The Darcy family is an old, wealthy, untitled family. Marrying an Earl's daughter brought us more prestige."
"They did marry for love?" Lizzy asked.
"They barely tolerated each other for over two years" He chuckled here. "But then my mother became with child."
"So it twas you that brought them closer?" Lizzy asked after he paused. He was silent for a few more seconds.
"No, twas the loss of three children before birth, and the stillborn death of two elder brothers" He told her sadly. She took his hand in her own, willing some of her strength to him. "I was born 9 years into their marriage. My mother recovered for nearly 5 months. My childhood was filled with happiness, do not let the tale beguile you, my mother loved my father and I dearly. She would always take me outside to frolic in the grass, or to swim in the pond. My father informed me when I was older that she had suffered two other miscarriages after I was born. When I was 14, Georgiana was born. I remember being ushered into the birthing room, Georgiana was still crying. My father held her on one side of the bed, she was rather loud as a child. My mother was on the other side of the bed, I could see the blood, but I was too young to understand fully. She was weak. She told me to watch over my sister, and to come give her a hug. She passed away in my arms."
"I'm so sorry William" She told him.
"It wasn't your fault Lizzy dear" He replied. "When Georgiana was 8, my father passed away. The two of them were never close, my father could not bear to look upon her without seeing my mother. All their loss and pain, it brought them closer. After she died, he was never the same. It took him 6 years to die of heartbreak"
"They must have loved each other very much" Lizzy murmured.
Lizzy knew she herself was falling fast in love with Mr. Darcy. After meeting Miss Darcy, and hearing some of the tenants remark about their beloved master, she was positive that Mr. Wickham had been spreading deceit.