Chapter 31: A Night with Darcy

Elizabeth didn't say anything; she realized he was probably talking about the same cabin that she saw before and was trying to find. A few moments later Darcy pulled up in front of the cabin, he got out and came around to her side of the jeep to help her out. She was still very shaky, so she didn't protest when he lifted her into his arms and carried her effortlessly inside. Darcy sat her on the sofa and slipped out of his raincoat. He quickly began building a fire to help warm her up. "You need to get out of those wet clothes."

Elizabeth was trembling and shaking from the cold, she knew he was right but her modesty dictated otherwise. "I have no intention of taking off my clothes Mr. Darcy. I will dry and so will they, while I wear them."

Darcy let out an exasperated sigh, "I don't want to argue about this with you. You already have a chill, if you don't get out of those wet things you will get pneumonia." He crossed over to one of the cabinets and opened it up; there were several blankets inside. He pulled them out and searched further until he came across some clothes. He returned to her and handed her a man's large sweatshirt and a pair of sweat pants. "Here put these on," he told her as he returned his attention to the fire. Seeing the look of defiance in her eyes, he softened his tone and said, "Please, I'm only trying to help. I don't want you to get sick."

Elizabeth took the clothes from him and looked about the room, over in the corner was a door that led to a small bathroom. She slipped her backpack off, then made her way to the bathroom. She quickly got out of her wet clothes and noticed that she had suffered some minor cuts and scrapes from her fall. After cleaning herself up, she used one of the towels in the bathroom to soak up the water from her hair and put on the clothes he had provided her with. She did feel a little bit warmer but was still shivering uncontrollably. She opened the door to find Darcy speaking with someone on his cell phone. "Yes, she's all right. I found her near the top of the summit," he said into the phone. "No, we will stay here at the cabin for the night, the stream has already flooded. Hello? Richard?" he said. "Hello?" he repeated himself. When there was no reply, he hung up. Darcy saw her come out from the bathroom. He could see she was still shivering badly. He grabbed two of the blankets and took them over to her, carefully wrapping them around her shoulders. "Would you like some hot tea?"

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes, that would be very nice thank you," she told him as she walked over near the fire. She jumped when the lightning flashed, and thunder crashed rattling the windows.

Darcy walked over to the tea kettle he put on and began fixing her a cup of tea. Elizabeth made her way over to the sofa and sat down. She tried not to stare at him but found herself doing just that. Darcy had taken off his shoes, and other wet clothing. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a pair of loose-fitting sweatpants just like the ones she had on, although hers were considerably more loose fitting than his. His hair was beginning to dry, but the normally well-behaved curls were now a much tighter unruly bunch in need of a comb. He looked so casual and comfortable right now. On every other occasion, they were together, he was perfectly dressed, and his hair was always very well-groomed. She thought about the irony of the situation she now found herself in. Being alone with Darcy was the last thing she wanted to happen or was it? She found herself feeling very conflicted.

"Here," Darcy said handing her the tea. "I hope it is not too sweet," he told her as he sat down in the chair across from her.

Elizabeth sipped the tea and welcomed the added warmth that it provided. "Thank you, it's very good, just the way I like it," she said softly. She took two more small sips then held the cup near her cheek. "It's warm... it feels nice. Thank you for coming all the way out here for me. I'm pretty sure you saved my life."

Darcy shifted in his chair. "Not at all," he told her. After a few minutes of silence, he found himself beginning to feel rather awkward. He searched for something to say. "I called Richard; he was also out looking for you. I let him know that we were both fine and that we would wait out the storm here for the night. The call dropped, so I think the storm is getting worse."

"Seems that I ruined everyone's evening," she said thinking of what Lady Catherine and the Collinses would have to say about her behavior.

"I'm sure there are those who will not hesitate to share their opinions on this evening's events," he told her. "But for me, I'm just thankful that you weren't harmed."

Elizabeth understood his meaning, and she laughed. "I'm afraid the worst of it will come from my dear cousin when he tells me repeatedly of how he warned me of the approaching storm. And I shall have to apologize for not listening."

Darcy laughed, "Yes, I do think that will be a very difficult punishment, knowing Mr. Collins as we do."

Elizabeth smiled and leaned back on the sofa still shaking a bit. She was having a tough time getting her body temperature back up to normal. Darcy tried not to seem overly concerned, but couldn't help himself. "Are you sure you are all right?"

Elizabeth nodded her head, "I'm fine, thank you," she assured him. "I did get a few scratches on my arms, but nothing that will not heal."

He could see she was still shivering. "Let me get you another blanket," he suggested as he walked back to the cabinet.

Elizabeth smiled, she wasn't used to being fussed over by him. "Mr. Darcy please sit down. I'm fine."

Darcy couldn't take it any longer. "Would you please just call me by my first name," he blurted out in frustration. Seeing the look of surprise on her face, he softened his tone and asked. "Please Elizabeth, after everything that has happened. I would very much like it if you could call me by my first name. That is if you are comfortable doing so," he finished saying.

Elizabeth smiled and arched her brow, "I have no objections at all to calling you by your given name, but I'm afraid I don't think I really know what it is. It's just that I have heard you called William, by Georgiana. Fitzwilliam, by your aunt, and most of your friends, as well as your cousin, all call you Darcy."

Darcy smiled, "My given name is Fitzwilliam," he explained. "I was given my mother's maiden name for my first name as a way of recognizing her family's heritage."

Elizabeth smiled, "Well which do you prefer to go by?" she asked him as she stifled a small yawn.

Darcy shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't ever thought about it before now," he told her. He thought about it for a few minutes then said, "My mother always called me William, and I suppose that's where Georgiana got it from. My father always called me Darcy, so I guess that's what stuck the most," he explained. "And my aunt...well she just calls me by whatever name she chooses, depending on her mood."

"I guess I will just call you Darcy as everyone else does," she said then thought better. "But that doesn't seem right..." she stared at him for a moment. "It's funny, but right at this moment, none of those names seem to fit you." He was not at all the gruff arrogant Mr. Darcy that she was used to being with. Neither was he the aloof, distant Darcy that she knew when large crowds were around, and she didn't feel comfortable calling him William either. William almost seemed too formal for this man sitting here with her now. She searched his eyes for several moments then smiled, "How about Will. It's simple, not stuffy and right now the name Will seems to fit you," she told him.

Darcy smiled, he couldn't say for sure why, but the thought that she had come up with her own personal nickname for him meant a great deal to him. "I like that, I like the nickname very much," he told her as he turned his attention toward the fire. He wanted so much to talk to her about the kiss they shared but felt that perhaps this wasn't the time considering what she had just been through. He glanced back over to her and tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. He shifted in his seat again then awkwardly asked. "Were you able to get the pictures that you wanted?" he said. "I mean before the storm hit did you get the pictures of the estate?"

Elizabeth nodded her head and smiled. "Yes, I did." She took the camera from out of the backpack and checked it over just to make sure it had not gotten damaged then she flipped it on and brought up the photos for him to see. "These are the ones I took this evening," she said motioning for him to join her on the sofa.

Darcy sat down next to her and leaned over to see the picture through the viewer. He studied each photo carefully. They captured the house as well as the beauty of the gardens and surrounding hillsides. He especially liked the ones that she must have taken just as the storm began moving in. It brought back many childhood memories from when he and Richard would play all over these hills and peaks. He was very surprised at how beautiful they were. "These are actually very good," he commented after she flipped to the last shot.

She arched her brow, "Oh, actually very good ugh?" Elizabeth teased him. "You seem surprised."

Darcy was just about to protest that he didn't mean anything unkind by the comment when he saw the smile play about her lips. "They are very good, you have an amazing eye for capturing detail Elizabeth," he said softly.

She stifled another yawn as she put her camera away. She suddenly began shivering again; she wondered if it was from the cold or having Darcy so very near to her. "Thank you Will. I really love what I do. It's just so amazing when you get that one shot that one photo that you knew was there, but just needed a unique perspective to bring it out." she told him as she carefully placed the camera back in the bag.

He had so much he wanted to say to her. "Elizabeth..." he started to say when she interrupted him.

She turned toward him and smiled, "You can call me Lizzy if you like, everyone who is closest to me calls me that," she said softly.

Darcy smiled, he was thrilled that she would ask him to call her by the name only reserved for those closest to her meant a great deal to him. He loved the way her hair fell about her shoulders and how the light from the fire reflected in her beautiful eyes. He realized there were things about Elizabeth that he wanted to know. No other woman had ever held his attention in such a way. He realized that he wanted to listen to her talk about her photography, and the books she read, the music she listened to, and every other small detail that she shared was of the utmost interest to him. When she turned and faced him, he suddenly became very aware of how close they were to one another. All he had to do was take her in his arms, pull her a mere few inches closer and capture her beautiful lips with his own. Then the thrill of the kissed they shared before would be his once again. "Lizzy..." he whispered her name softly, his voice filled with emotion.

Elizabeth took in a slow deep breath; she could feel her heart pounding, "Will," she said softly. "I think it would be best if you and I say good night," she told him struggling with the inner conflict raging inside of her. "Considering the situation we are in, and that we are here alone..." she said as she stared into his eyes, "We don't want to have something happen between us that we may not be ready to have happened just yet."

Darcy cleared his throat and nodded his head, "Yes of course." he said as he got to his feet and moved away from her. As much as he wanted to hold her in his arms and... he stopped his thoughts at that point. She was right, there would be plenty of time for them to be together, besides he wanted to do things right with her. He realized one thing over the last twenty-four hours was that he was completely in love with her. There was no denying it any longer; he was in love with her.

Elizabeth laid down on the couch and wrapped the blanket up around her; she glanced over to Darcy as he made his bed on the floor. "Thank you, Will," she said softly. "for everything."

"Good night Lizzy," he said as the room grew quiet. The storm was still raging outside, and you could hear the rain as it pelted against the cabin walls and roof. He glanced back up at Elizabeth one more time before closing his eyes. She had her back to him and the blankets tightly wrapped about her. He noticed that she was still trembling from the cold, "Are you sure you are warm enough, I could pull the couch closer to the fire for you?" he suggested worrying that she might be getting sick.

"No I'm fine," she told him not wanting to be a bother.

"If you need anything, I'm right here," he told her as he settled back down to sleep.

Elizabeth tried to get warm for a better the part of the evening. She was exhausted but found that sleep would not come. She struggled with the chill that was causing her to shake and shiver as well as the irrational fear she was dealing with concerning the raging storms outside. She turned over and glanced down at Darcy who had long since fallen into a deep sleep. She considered waking him up to ask for more blankets but decided it would be unfair to take the one he had kept for himself away from him. She sat up for a moment and called out his name softly, "Will?" She waited for several minutes, but there was no reply. "Will?" she tried again, but he still didn't move. She let out a small sigh and decided to move down to the floor. She slipped off the couch and slowly moved over next to him. She carefully covered herself with his blanket, then placed the others she had over them both. Once she had herself situated; she slowly moved her body over until her back was right up against his back. He was warm, and after a while, she felt the shaking and trembling in her body subside. The storm continued to rage outside the window, but it wasn't long before she found herself relaxed enough to fall into a sound sleep.

At some time in the night, Darcy rolled over to find Elizabeth curled up next to him. He took in a sharp breath and instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to himself. Lying there listening to the even sound of her breathing, he again saw how much he loved her. At first, he tried to convince himself that he was only attracted to her. He told himself that he could overcome those feelings that were constantly plaguing him, but the truth was now all too real to him. With everything that had happened, he could clearly see that he was in love with her and wanted more than anything to make her his wife. He wanted to be with her not just tonight, but every night for the rest of their lives. He wanted to hold her in his arms as he fell asleep each night, then kiss her awake each morning. As he held her in his arms, he thought about all the obstacles that he would have to face. There were those in his family who would not approve, and then there was her mother and sisters to contend with. But when he looked down into her beautiful face it became very clear to him that none of that matter to him. He was in love for the first time in his life, with Elizabeth Bennett.

It was not long after the sun came up that Elizabeth heard a soft husky voice whispering her name, "Good morning Lizzy."

Elizabeth mumbled softly and snuggled even closer to him. "Good morning," she whispered only half awake. Within moments her eyes shot open as she remembered where she was, "Will...I can. I can explain this." she said staring up into his soft brown eyes.

He reached over and began playing with a stray strand of her hair, "Explain what?" he asked her softly.

She was very aware of how close he was to her; she lay there motionless as he leaned his head against his hand and continued playing with her hair. "It got cold last night after you fell asleep and I..." she struggled to concentrate, "I was cold, so I came down here closer to the fire to get warm," she mumbled.

He let go of her hair and began caressing her cheek. "Why didn't you just wake me up?" he asked her. "I could have put more wood on the fire."

Elizabeth felt herself trembling at his touch. "I tried, but you were sound asleep and I..." she mumbled softly.

"You what?" he asked waiting for her to finish her sentence.

Elizabeth was having a difficult time thinking straight. "I remembered a survivor show I watched, and it said when you had lost body heat that it was best to cuddle with another person to share their heat," she told him. "It seemed like a practical idea at the time."

Darcy lowered his head down to hers and began placing tiny soft kisses at the corner of her mouth, "A very practical idea, Lizzy." He whispered her name just before he captured her mouth with his.

Elizabeth sat up abruptly, letting out a small shriek, startled and confused by her surroundings. Her breathing was ragged as she opened her eyes and looked around her in a bit of a panic. She was still on the floor, but Darcy was gone. She heard sounds from the small kitchen and turned to see him standing at the stove. "Will," she said feeling rather embarrassed by her dream and the fact that she had slept with him on the floor for the better part of the night.

He looked over and saw that she was awake. "Good morning," he said as he continued what he was doing.

Elizabeth searched for a way to explain why she slept on the floor next to him. "Will," she began to say, "about last night," she continued feeling very awkward. "I can explain."

"Explain what?" he asked feeling a bit confused by her remark.

Elizabeth got to her feet and moved over to the couch. "I can explain why I was sleeping down there on the floor with you instead of on the couch," she told him.

Darcy smiled, "There's no need really," he said trying to make her feel more at ease.

"Yes, there is," she told him. "It got cold in the middle of the night, and well I tried to wake you when the fire started burning down, but you wouldn't wake up."

Darcy smiled, "I am a very heavy sleeper I'm afraid."

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes, you are, and well I was really cold so I thought that it might be best if I slept closer to the fire," she explained.

Darcy could see that she was embarrassed, "Elizabeth really there is no need to be embarrassed. Nothing happened, we just slept," he assured her.

She let out a small sigh. "Right, nothing happened," she repeated forcing the images from her dream out of her head. Wanting to change the subject she asked, "So what are you doing?"

He laughed, "I thought I would attempt to make some breakfast for us, but I seem to be rather inept at cooking," he told her.

Elizabeth walked over and saw some blackened toast and runny eggs sitting on the plate. She smiled, "Is there any more eggs and bread?"

Darcy nodded, "Yes in the icebox over there." he pointed.

Elizabeth picked up the plate and headed over to the trash bin. "Are your feelings going to be terribly hurt if I toss this and start over?"

Darcy shook his head, "Not at all," he watched her as she pulled up the sleeves of the sweatshirt, and then took out some of the eggs from the icebox, and began to cook them properly. "Do you like to cook?" he asked her.

She glanced over at him. "I do actually," she told him. "As a little girl, I often spent rainy, wintry days in the kitchen helping Hill prepare our meals. She's a wonderful cook and a very patient teacher."

"And who is Hill?" he asked, he didn't remember her ever mentioning the name before.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Hill is our cook. She has worked for my parents, for a very long time." she told him. "I think my father hired her not long after he married my mother and realized cooking and housekeeping were not exactly her strong suits."

Darcy laughed, "My mother was not the greatest cook either. My father would tell Georgiana and me such hilarious stories about how she would try to make elaborate meals when they first married. Finally, he convinced her that she didn't have to cook and that he was perfectly happy with her many other wonderful talents."

Elizabeth smiled, "Well at least your mother tried. My mother has always looked to others to take care of her."

He noticed some of the scratches on her arms. "Are you feeling all right this morning?"

Elizabeth nodded her head. "I'm fine thanks."

"I thought that perhaps I should have a doctor called to check you over, just to be sure," he told her, his voiced filled with genuine concern.

Elizabeth smiled, "That's not necessary, I really am fine," she told him. She was shocked at how sweet and caring he was being. This was not at all the man whom she had known before.

"Well if you are up for it then I will take a different route back to the house," he told her. "I have some places I would like to show you, besides I'm sure the stream is still flooded and will not have gone down enough for us to cross."

Elizabeth nodded her head, "I believe I'm up for it," she told him as she finished their eggs and sat down to eat.