P&P: How Darcy met Elizabeth

by MJanie001

Modern variation of P&P, traditional style. Elizabeth Bennet is a young and upcoming photographer who is about to cross paths with the proud, arrogant, and handsome Mr. Darcy. From the moment, they meet Elizabeth finds him to be rude, controlling, and snobbish. While Darcy finds himself equally annoyed and intrigued by this new acquaintance with the captivating brown eyes.(c)

40. Chapter 40

Dear Reader, Here we are at Friday again :) I know I already posted a chapter this week but am trying to find the time to post a little more often. I appreciate the kind and helpful words of everyone who has written to me and left reviews. Thanks so much, Best regards Janie(mj)

Chapter 40: Confessions to a friend

Elizabeth woke up early after a good night's sleep despite the raging storm outside her window. She slipped out of bed and stretched, she wished she had some fresh clothes to put on, but until she could get back to the hotel what she wore yesterday would have to do for today. She was just about to go into the bathroom when she heard a knock at her door. She slipped on the bathrobe she borrowed from Georgiana and went over to the door.

"Mr. Darcy thought perhaps you might like to have these things, Miss," Mrs. Reynolds told her as she came into the room with Elizabeth's bag. "He wanted to let you know we found your keys early this morning and he took the liberty of having Tom take me to your room to retrieve your things. I'm sure I got everything however if you find anything out-of-place or missing they can be sent for at once."

Elizabeth smiled, "Oh thank you so much. I was just thinking how nice it would be to have something fresh to put on this morning," she told her. "Please tell Mr. Darcy I will be down soon and thank you."

Mrs. Reynolds smiled, "Yes Miss," she said as she left the room closing the door behind her.

Elizabeth found herself hurrying to get ready; she couldn't wait to get downstairs and see Will. Last night had been so perfect. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but just being with him felt wonderful and made her feel excited in a way she never had before. Even the storm that kept up for the better part of the night didn't bother her so much as they sat and talked. She took in a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror and wondered if this was what it felt like to be in love.

Darcy was just coming down the stairs when Mrs. Reynolds came into the hall, "Miss Bennet has her things, and she said to tell you she will be down very soon," she told him.

Darcy smiled then asked, "Mrs. Reynolds, I was wonder where did you find Elizabeth's keys?"

She smiled mischievously, "Oh it was the strangest thing, somehow they ended up left in Miss Darcy's room. I found them when I went in to get Miss Bennet something to sleep in. I believe they must have slipped out of her bag when she was taking the photos. It was so late though that's why I didn't mention it until this morning, sir."

He nodded his head, "Well I'm glad you were able to find them for her," he said as he went into the dining room to wait for Elizabeth.

Mrs. Reynolds smiled as she went into the kitchen, she pulled out her cell phone and sent a text to Miss Darcy, "Mission accomplished," was all it said.

Georgina leaned over toward Richard and whispered, "Elizabeth spent the night at Pemberley."

He tried not to laugh, "And how do you know that?"

"I had Mrs. Reynolds hide her car keys, and that left her stranded for the night, so she had to stay," Georgiana told her.

He smiled, "So now you have the servants in on this little scheme of yours as well?" he teased her. "I have allowed a monster to be created."

Georgiana shook her head, "No that's not true, I promise I will not meddle any further into Williams love life now that they are working things out," she told him as she smiled at him. As she settled back in her seat, she began thinking about how she might find someone for Richard as well. It would be nice to see him as happy as she knew her brother would be once he and Elizabeth were together. Georgiana smiled as she began looking through the pictures Elizabeth had sent to her while she was in Paris. "Did I ever show you the pictures Elizabeth sent to me while she visited Paris with her two sisters?"

Richard shook his head, "No you didn't," he told her.

"Oh, you should see some of them really are very lovely," she handed him the phone.

Richard began looking at the pictures one by one. "This is her older sister Jane," he said as he stopped at one of the other pictures. "Who is this other girl in the photo?"

Georgiana leaned over to get a better look, "Oh that's her other sister, Kitty," she said. "Kitty went along with them to Paris; she's in a few of the pictures. Elizabeth mentioned the three of us getting together sometime. She believes Kitty and I might become friends. Apparently, we share quite a bit in common. Kitty is older than I am by two or three years and already attending university."

Richard looked through the rest of the photos. "They are very nice pictures," he commented. "It will be good for you to make more friends. I'm glad Elizabeth will be introducing the two of you."

Georgiana took her phone back, "I think Kitty looks very much like Elizabeth, don't you?" she asked him innocently.

He didn't look at her but leaned his head back against the seat and said, "She does a bit, but I think I actually see more resembles with the older sister, they both have very pretty blue eyes."

Georgiana smiled, "Oh yes you are right, Kitty's eyes are blue," she said as she sat back in her seat.

Elizabeth came down into the dining room wearing a lovely pale pink top and a pair of dark washed Capri pants. She smiled when her eyes met with Will's. "You didn't have to wait for me," she said as she noticed he still had not eaten.

Will looked up and shook his head no, "I don't mind waiting," he told her. "I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of having Mrs. Reynolds collect your things at the hotel. Once the keys were found I thought you might like having your things with you."

"No, I don't mind at all," Elizabeth said to him. "I was very happy to have something fresh to put on this morning."

He smiled. "So, I imagine there is still more of Pemberley that you will want to photograph today?"

"Yes, but not just for the magazine," she told him. "I will admit I'm in love with your house, the decor, the design of the house itself, the surrounding gardens; it's all so beautiful. Do you mind if I take some for my personal portfolio?"

"Take as many pictures as you like," he told her. He was so glad she liked his home since he hoped one day very soon she would consider it her home as well. "I'm glad to hear you say that you like Pemberley. I know it is a large house, but it has always been home to me. There are those who might find it overwhelming to be in such a large house, but you seem to fit right in."

She took in a deep breath, "Thank you, Will," she said as they began eating their breakfast. "I think I will explore down around the lake a bit more today."

"If you don't mind I will come along. I have no other pressing business, and it will be at least another hour or two before Georgiana arrives, at which time I'm sure she will lay claim to all of your free time," he told her.

"I don't mind if you come along," she told him. "I'm looking forward to seeing Georgiana again. She's such a wonderful friend, and I love hearing about her adventures."

"Well, I'm sure she will have a few to tell since we have been across England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. I'm not really sure what made her decide on each place, but our trip was a lot of fun, and she did a wonderful job planning it," he told her.

Elizabeth finished her breakfast, "Well I can go upstairs and get my camera if you're ready?"

"I'm ready," he told her as he finished. "I will just let Mrs. Reynolds know where we are headed in case Georgiana should arrive with the others before we return."

Several minutes later the two were walking down near the lake. Elizabeth stopped to take some pictures. "This is a beautiful spot. I know I said so before, but I just can't get over how perfect it is."

"It is one of my favorite spots on the property. My father used to bring me down here when I was a boy to go fishing and to ice skate in the winter time. Richard and I learned to swim in this lake," he told her.

"I have to admit, Will, the way you describe your childhood is so different than what I would have imagined," she told him just as she spotted a family of ducks about to enter the water together.

"Why because it's not all yachting, prep schools, extravagant shopping, and lavish parties?" he asked.

She realized she was probably going to sound like a snob, but she nodded her head, "Yes actually. I guess I imagined all wealthy people lived like that."

Will smiled, "I suppose there are those that do live that way," he told her. "But both my mother and father were more grounded than their peers. My mother could be extravagant when it came to decorating Pemberley, but she never wore fur, and only owned a few expensive pieces of jewelry in her private collection. My mother was not one for going shopping all the time. She didn't like the stereotype and tried to do her best not to be seen in that light. She was a very kind and generous woman; she spent a great deal of time with both Georgiana and me before she grew ill."

Elizabeth could hear in his voice how much he still missed his mother. "I am sorry I never got to meet your mother Will, she sounds like she was an amazing person."

Darcy picked up a small rock and tossed it into the lake; he thought his mother would have liked Elizabeth very much and would have approved of her completely. "I think you would have liked my mother, she and Georgiana are very much alike."

Elizabeth smiled, "I know I would have liked her," she said as they walked a little further on down the path. She stopped and turned toward the house. "This is an amazing view of the entire property," she commented as she lifted her camera up and took several pictures. She thought about how beautiful it must be in the fall and winter months. She lowered her camera and envisioned what the grounds would be like in Autumn when all the trees were bursting with color. She thought about what it would be like to walk through the trees with Will holding her hand in his, feeling the wind blow against her cheeks and listening to the leaves crunch beneath their feet. She took in a deep breath and sighed. She thought how picture perfect Christmas morning must be in such a beautiful setting, the grounds completely covered in a soft white blanket of snow. She imagined how wonderful it would be to sit with Will near a roaring fire, sip hot chocolate and share a kiss under the mistletoe. After several minutes, she realized that he was standing there staring at her, while she stood there staring at the house without taking a single picture. She turned toward him and blushed, "I'm so sorry I seem to have gotten lost in my thoughts."

Will shook his head, "No need to apologize," he told her. His mind had been pleasantly occupied as he thought how wonderful it would be to have her there with him always at Pemberley. If he could show her how much he had changed and how desperately he wanted to win her heart perhaps then there might still be a chance for things to work out between them. It was the sound of his sister's voice calling out to them that caused them both to turn and look away from one another.

"Oh, Elizabeth I could hardly wait to get here and see you," she said as she came up to them and greeted her friend with a hug.

"Oh it is so good to see you again," Elizabeth told her. "Will has told me about your trip. I hope you took tons and tons of pictures to show me."

Georgiana smiled, "I did actually," she said. "If you are done we can go back up to the house? I would love for you to see them."

Elizabeth smiled, "I'm done for now," she said as she looked over at Will. "Do you mind if we continue our walk later?"

Will smiled, "No I should go up to see Richard and bring him up to speed on that business call I had." he said as they began walking back toward the house. Will let Georgiana take the lead with Elizabeth, he didn't want to interfere in their time together. Seeing the true bond of friendship that they shared made him smile. If Elizabeth would consent to marry him, not only would he be the happiest man in the world, but Georgiana would finally have some much-needed female guidance in her life as well. He took in a deep breath and allowed himself some small amount of hope to fill his heart.

Later that afternoon Elizabeth was busy taking photos when she overheard two voices coming through the doorway in the adjoining room. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she recognized both voices at once as those of Will and Charles. She was just going to slip out through the side door, but then she heard her name mentioned and gave into the temptation to hear what they were talking about.

Charles sat down in the chair across from Darcy's desk, "What a wonderful surprise to find Elizabeth Bennet here when we arrived."

Darcy looked up from his work, for a moment. He knew his friend wanted to talk about another of the Bennet sisters, "Yes it was a shock to me as well," he told him then added, "But a very pleasant one."

"Yes, I agree completely," he said then added, "You know I saw Jane not too long ago."

Darcy was surprised, "You didn't mention that the two of you had run into each other."

Charles shook his head, "No, I didn't mean to say that I actually ran into her," he explained. "I meant to say that I saw her in a photograph that was taken not too long ago. A series of photographs actually," he told him then added, "I wondered if you had by chance seen them as well?"

Darcy shook his head, "No Charles, but then I very rarely follow along with the entertainment industry."

"It was a photo of her with another man; it almost looked as if they were on a date. I believe they were in Paris," Charles told him. "He had his arm around her waist," He said his voice rather distant and despondent. "So it would seem you were right and that she really didn't have feelings for me after all."

Darcy realized he couldn't put off talking with his friend any longer. "Charles, I need to speak with you about that," he told him seeing the pain in his friend's eyes. "I'm afraid I have given you some misguided advice, and I deeply regret it now."

Charles was puzzled by his friend's comment, "What is it Darcy?"

"I was not right about Jane Bennet's feelings for you," he told him. "In fact, I was assured by someone who knows Jane very well that she was very deeply in love with you and was very much hoping that you were planning to propose to her," Darcy told him.

Charles got to his feet and began pacing, "Who was it that told you that Jane loved me?"

Darcy wasn't sure if he should divulge that it was Elizabeth or not. He really didn't want to go into all the details of their fight or of his feeling for Elizabeth. "I'm not sure that I can tell you that Charles, but I can promise you that this person was very sure of the truth in what they shared. Jane was very deeply in love with you when you broke things off with her."

Charles was in shock, and his shock soon turned to anger, "How long have you known this Darcy?"

Darcy let out a heavy sigh, "For far too long Charles. I'm truly sorry. The truth is this revelation of Jane's feelings was conveyed to me not long after you sent your last letter to her finally ending things."

Charles was still pacing, and Darcy could see by the expression on his face that he was very angry. He felt terrible, but he knew he had to admit all the truth, "I'm sorry Charles, truly sorry for not telling you sooner than this. It was wrong of me."

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner!" he demanded, "if you really are as sorry as you say!"

Darcy hesitated for a moment, "Because when I was first told, I didn't believe it. I was filled with pride and didn't want to believe I was so wrong about things. When I told you that I didn't believe Jane was in love with you; that she was only with you because her mother wanted her to marry for money I did honestly believe that," he told him, then added. "But since that time I have come to see that it was my own snobbish attitude toward Jane and her family that kept me from telling you the truth that was shared with me. I'm sorry, you have been a good friend to me, one of the best in fact and I should have treated you the same."

Charles had never heard his friend speak in such a humble, apologetic way. Part of him was still very angry with him, but he knew that he had his part of the blame for this whole mess as well. "I should storm out of here Darcy and never speak to you again!"

Darcy felt terrible, "Charles, I wouldn't blame you if you did." He couldn't blame his friend for being angry. He knew he would feel the exact same way. He finally fully understood what Richard was trying to tell him all along about meddling in his friend's relationship.

Charles stopped pacing and stared at his friend. "But that would be taking the easy way out. I allowed myself to be persuaded by you and Caroline. I did not go to Jane and honestly ask her what her feelings were in part because I was too unsure of my own," he told him then continued, "I felt that I loved her, but I was not sure, not completely sure. Things between her and I had moved very fast. The truth is, I doubted myself, and I doubted her," he admitted. He walked back over and sat down in the chair. "I'm not angry with you Darcy, although it was wrong of you not to tell me sooner about Jane's true feelings. I know you well enough to know that when you first spoke to me about this, it was out of friendship, and not any kind of meanness or malice."

Darcy walked back over to his desk and sat down, he did not deserve Charles friendship, but he was glad to have it. "Thank you, Charles, you are a better man than I."

Charles looked over at his friend, "What now?" he asked, "Do you think she has moved on and that photo was proof of it?" he asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

Darcy was silent for several minutes before he replied. "Charles based on what I was told of Jane's feeling for you and what I know of the young lady herself, I would say that it was probably all very innocent. While I can't say for a fact that she still feels the same for you now as she did several weeks ago, I can tell you I believe that she's the sort of woman who once gives her heart gives it completely. My guess is she still cares for you very deeply."

Charles stood up again, "I have a great deal to think about," he told him as he headed over to the door, "Darcy, if it is nothing, and she still does feel the same way, what are your thoughts on the matter? Do you approve?"

Darcy smiled, "Do you need my approval?"

He shook his head, "No, but I would still like to have it."

"Then yes you have it," he told him. "Jane is everything that you said she was when you first spoke to me about her. I'm truly sorry I ever doubted you, Charles."

Charles smiled, "What of her family? Do you think I would be crazy to marry into such a family?"

Darcy thought about all the things he has said about Elizabeth's parents and sisters. He thought about how his unkind and thoughtless remarks must have hurt Elizabeth. "Charles, Jane is a lovely girl, and if you truly love her then it shouldn't matter who her family is, what station in life they come from, or how much money her father makes," he told him. "Besides money does not always mean someone is going to be a better person just because they have it. In fact, I know of several very wonderful families who work for a living, and I would rather spend time with them over those I know with large bank accounts," he admitted thinking about some of the staff that worked at Pemberley compared to his Aunt Catherine.

Elizabeth smiled at what he said. At that moment she realized without a doubt that she loved him. He was not prideful in dealing with Charles. He had shown true humility with his friend by admitting he was wrong. She took in a deep breath and realized now it was her turn to do likewise. She needed to admit that there was truth in the things he said about her family and that she was wrong for ever listening to the likes of George Wickham. She decided she would look for an opportunity to speak to him and make amends over the hurtful exchange they had at Rosings. She quietly slipped away from the door and left through the side door that led out into the gardens. She only walked a few feet when she ran into Caroline and her sister sitting in the rose garden.

"Miss Eliza, we were just saying how surprised we were to see you come to Pemberley," Caroline commented.

"Yes, it was a surprise running into Will yesterday," she said purposely using her chosen nickname for him. "But a very pleasant surprise."

Caroline feigned a smiled. "I'm sure," she said. "When Darcy let us know you were here we were all just thrilled to have the addition to our little party," she said. "I do wonder, though, since you are working while you're here, how long do you plan to stay?"

Elizabeth smiled, "Well I was planning on leaving before the weekend, but now that Will and Georgiana have encouraged me to stay. I think perhaps I will."

Caroline grew annoyed. Seeing that her jab about Elizabeth only being there for work didn't have the desired effect she was hoping it would. She decided to try another tactic. "Tell me, how is dear Jane doing?"

Elizabeth took in a deep breath; she knew Caroline was trying to bait her. "Jane is doing great."

"We were so sorry to hear of her and Charles's break up," she lied. "We both liked Jane so much, but Charles is like most bachelors today so afraid to commit."

Elizabeth smiled, "Well you never know what the future might bring," she told them both. "Judging by what Charles has said to me, I wouldn't be surprised if his fear of commitment is completely gone and he realizes just how ready he is to commit to my sister."

Caroline narrowed her eyes, "Well, of course, we all hope for that, but I wouldn't want to give her false hope."

Elizabeth shook her head, "No of course not, but then Charles was very eager to ask about Jane. In fact, he mentioned several times how much he enjoyed his time with her at Netherfield."

Caroline didn't like how confident Elizabeth seemed in what she was saying. "I wouldn't want you to misunderstand my brother Miss Eliza. He was probably just trying to be nice and ask about her. I don't know that it really reflects what he's truly feeling."

Elizabeth knew she couldn't say anything further without revealing that she was eavesdropping on Charles and Will so she chose to say nothing at all. She smiled politely, "Well I have some pictures to take so I will see you all later this evening for dinner."

Caroline gave her a smug look, "I do hope you brought something proper to wear for dinner." she commented. "I realize of course you weren't expecting to go out while you were here working so if you should need to borrow something."

Elizabeth shook her head no, "Thank you Caroline, but I don't need to borrow anything," she told her before she walked away. She already discussed their evening plans with Georgiana and knew that the restaurant they were going to, was going to be a more casual affair.

Later that evening Elizabeth took particular care to get ready for the night's dinner, not only did she want Will to notice her, but she kind of wanted to put Caroline in her place as well. She decided that the blue dress she brought with her would work out nicely. She was glad she always packed for every possibility, one of the few things she learned from her mother as a little girl. She could almost hear her mother's voice telling her, "better to overpack and be prepared than under pack and not be." She stood there looking at herself in the mirror thinking about her mother, what would she say when she learned of her feelings for Fitzwilliam Darcy. How would her mother react when she learns that her least favorite daughter has fallen in love with a wealthy multi-millionaire who owned several houses and his own helicopter? Elizabeth laughed at the irony of the situation. "What will my mum say when she finds out that Fitzwilliam Darcy has feelings for me?" she mumbled softly. Elizabeth took in a deep breath and cleared her head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she said. "Just because he's completely wonderful doesn't mean he still has feelings for me. In fact, I don't even know if he ever really did have feelings for me," she told herself. Elizabeth decided if things did work out between them, and if they did decide to date and see one another exclusively, she wouldn't say anything to her mother. She didn't need the added pressure that would be sure to follow if her mother knew. She smiled to herself and thought that dating in secret might be kind of fun. She took one last look in the mirror and then turned to go downstairs. Her heart was racing, and her nerves were on edge, in all her life she could never remember feeling so excited and apprehensive about a simple dinner as she did at that moment.

Darcy shifted in his spot where he stood waiting near the door for Elizabeth to come down. His heart was beating so fast, all he could think about was making sure he said and did the exact right things to show her how much he had changed. He thought about mentioning the conversation he had with Charles about his involvement with Jane and his breakup. He thought about it all afternoon but then decided that would be too self-serving a thing to do. Besides telling Charles what he knew about Jane wasn't just about him and Elizabeth, it was about helping his friend secure his own happiness. When he accepted fully the weight of what he had done and the responsibility of having come between the two of them he had been looking for the right way to speak to Charles about it during their entire trip and now that he had it was as if a weight had been lifted. He suspected Charles would not waste too much time in getting in touch with Jane and then true love would take its course. Of course, Caroline would be none too happy about it, but he would let brother and sister work that out.

It was the sound of someone approaching the staircase that drew his attention upward. Suddenly she stood there before him, his Elizabeth, in his home, his heart beat faster as he gazed into her eyes. She smiled, and he was mesmerized by her beauty as she walked down the stairs toward him, she was wearing a beautiful dark blue dress, her hair was pulled up with just a few soft curls that hung loosely down around her face. He swallowed, shocked by how overwhelmed with the love he felt for this woman. He stepped forward and extended his arm to Elizabeth, at that moment he didn't even care that Caroline was standing there staring at the two of them with intense anger in her eyes. Elizabeth placed her hand on Darcy's arm as he escorted her to the door and the waiting limousine. Perhaps it seemed like an old-fashioned gesture, but at that moment, he couldn't resist being near her. As the two of them walked out to the car together, Caroline was forced to follow along with her sister and brother-in-law; while Georgiana walked along with Charles and Richard.

Their dinner was lovely, and Elizabeth was enjoying the company. Will had been very attentive to her even though Caroline tried several times to cut her out of the conversation with Georgiana. Richard seemed almost to be playing defense with Caroline, each time she tried to interrupt her conversations with Will he would intercept and draw her attention back to himself. She smiled if she didn't know better she would almost have thought the two of them planned how they would deal with Caroline beforehand.

As they finished dessert Charles stood up, "That was a wonderful dinner, but now I would like to dance," he said as he turned to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth would you be so kind as to join me?" he asked her politely.

She smiled and nodded, "Of course Charles." she placed her napkin on the table and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

The music was soft, and it allowed them the opportunity to talk. "I was not sure if you would want to have anything to do with me after the way I abruptly ended things with your sister," he admitted honestly. "I have no excuse for my behavior."

Elizabeth smiled, "Since my sister is not angry with you, there is no reason for me to be."

"Jane is a wonderful girl; she's so loving and kind. She has every reason to hate me..." he told her. "I would not blame her if she did."

"But she doesn't hate you, Charles," Elizabeth told him.

"I treated your sister terribly, and I have no excuse for my behavior, but I do have regrets," he told her.

Elizabeth didn't miss the glance he gave toward Darcy. "Everyone makes mistakes Charles, and as you said Jane does have the kindest heart and I have always known her to be very forgiving," she told him as she glanced over toward Darcy. He was staring intently at them; she couldn't deny that he had changed since they were last together at Rosing's Park. Their eyes locked on each other and she was surprised by how completely and totally in love with him she was. Not only was he handsome, but he was also kind, generous, giving, loyal to his friends and family, charming in his own awkward way, and very quick-witted. That was the one attribute she had come to love the most about him was his willingness to grow, and to change. He may struggle with pride, but he was not stubborn, and that showed character, he could be shown he was wrong, and he could change, that meant everything. She smiled as she thought about the way he set the record straight with Charles about Jane. She forced herself to look back at her dance partner. Charles seemed a bit agitated as if something were on his mind, "Is everything all right Charles?"

"There is something on my mind, I know I have no right to ask this but..." he began then stopped.

"Charles what is it?" she asked him.

"I saw some recent photos of Jane. She was with a rather good-looking young man. I realize it was probably a part of an ad campaign, but I wonder?" he finally said. "I guess, I was wondering..." he paused, looking for the right words, "I guess I was wondering how she was doing?"

Elizabeth knew the photos that Charles was speaking of, but she wasn't sure if it was her place to speak for Jane or not. She saw how hurt he was and decided to tell him the truth. "I think I can speak for Jane and she would want you to know that she was there as a part of her contract. She was obligated to make several public appearances with that young man because of an ad that they worked on together for a perfume company. What you didn't see in the photos was the young man's girlfriend waiting for them to finish each session," she assured him. "They really did mean nothing, just an illusion to sell the product."

Charles smiled, "Thank you for telling me that," he said clearly relieved. "I knew it must be something like that."

Darcy watched the two of them dancing and did his best to ignore Caroline. For a moment, he felt bad for abandoning Georgiana to her and Louisa, but much to his surprise she was dealing with them both very confidently. More of Elizabeth's influence he guessed. He stared at Elizabeth as she danced, both she and Charles looked his way, which made him feel rather uneasy. What if Charles mentioned their conversations and it stirred up feelings of anger all over again. He hoped that wouldn't be the case. His heart skipped a beat when she looked at him that last time, there was something different in her eyes, he was not sure what it was, but it made him feel very hopeful that perhaps the two of them could still find each other in all of this.

Once the dance ended and Charles returned Elizabeth to the table, Darcy wasted no time in asking her for the next dance, "May I have the next dance, Elizabeth?"

She smiled, "Yes," she said simply as the music began to play.

Darcy took her hand in his and pulled Elizabeth along behind him back out on the dance floor. He asked the waiter to have the band play a long waltz, he took her in his arms and held her close. As the music began to play, he whispered softly, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world. When you came down the stairs tonight, I was speechless."

Elizabeth smiled, "Thank you, Will," she whispered sweetly. She remembered a time when he thought otherwise and couldn't resist the temptation to tease him about it now, "Although I do recall another party when you were not so fond of my looks. I believe you said that there was nothing special about me and that you had no interest in me."

Darcy was about to apologize profusely when he saw the glint in her eyes, "Oh so you overheard that ill spoken remark of mine?"

"Yes, I did Mr. Darcy," she teased him more. "So now I have to question this compliment you are giving me...first you say that I'm nothing special and then you say I'm the most beautiful woman in the world? What am I to believe, or are you really so indecisive?"

Darcy laughed, "Hmmm those two comments do seem to be at odds with one another," he told her. "Knowing myself, as I do, and knowing how truly gorgeous you looked that night I can only say that the first comment was made because I was an obnoxious blind idiot to have said what I did and if it is not too late to do so, I apologize."

Elizabeth stared into his eyes. "Oh, you really do mean that don't you Will?" she whispered softly, touched by his admission.

Darcy stared deeply into her gorgeous brown eyes and whispered, "Yes Elizabeth I do, in fact, as far as I'm concerned there is no other woman in this world worth being with, but you. You are the only woman who could ever truly hold my attention."

Elizabeth's blushed a bright red and lowered her gaze; she felt overwhelmed with emotion. She laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment wishing that they could go on dancing forever.

Darcy longed to kiss her, but he resisted the temptation, he didn't want to do anything that would cause her to pull away from him. He leaned down and whispered softly into her ear, "Charles seemed to be in a better mood after the two of you danced."

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes, "That's true, he did seem as if a heavy weight had been lifted."

Darcy saw that same playful twinkle in her eye, "You are not going to tell me what changed his mood are you?"

Elizabeth thought about it for a moment, "Perhaps I will tell you, if..." she began but didn't finish.

Darcy smiled, "If what?" he asked going along with her teasing.

"If you will consent to call me Lizzy again?" she whispered softly as she stared into his eyes.

Darcy caught his breath for a moment; he searched her face for some understanding. Was she still teasing him or was this her way of telling him that she didn't hold any anger against him for Charles and Jane's breakup. "But you said that only those you cared deeply for could call you by that name." He said hoping she would not get angry with him for reminding her of their fight.

"I know," she smiled, "that's why I was hoping you might want to call me by that name now," she told him.

His heart was racing, he wanted more than anything to take her somewhere that they could be alone so that they could talk, but the music was ending, and they would have to rejoin their other guests. Darcy barely listened to the conversation going on around him; he was too enchanted with Elizabeth. He watched her talking with his sister and saw how close the two of them had become. He planned to ask Elizabeth to marry him; he knew that Georgiana would be very happy for the two of them and he now held out some hope that Elizabeth would soon be his. He was hopeful that she really did have feelings for him and that finally the obstacles that had been between them were all gone.

It had been a perfect evening. The restaurant was lovely, and she had such a wonderful time dancing with Will and talking with Georgiana and Richard. She had such a wonderful time that she didn't even mind the angry glaring looks that Caroline kept giving her. Elizabeth was too excited to sleep; she slipped out of her dress and into her PJ's. She finished getting ready for bed knowing that she would probably not be able to sleep. She closed her eyes and tried to drift off, but it was impossible, she got back out of bed. She thought about going to his room to try to speak with him but decided against it, what would he think of her coming there like that in the middle of the night. She walked back over and sat on the edge of her bed, "The night was perfect, almost too perfect," she thought, when suddenly she felt very unsettled like something was wrong, something was very wrong. She shook her head willing the feeling to go away, but it wouldn't. She took in a deep breath and tried again to shake the uneasy feeling she was suddenly struggling with. She got up and paced back and forth in her room, she walked over and looked out the window trying to think of other things, but still, she couldn't shake it. She walked over and picked up her phone, and scanned through it, no new messages, she was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when a text came through from Jane. She was mentally preparing herself for the worst then clicked on it, as she read it her heart sank. "Lydia in trouble email to follow."