"Miss Bennet, fancy meeting up with you out here of all places." Mr Darcy spoke teasingly to her a week after Mr Bingley and Jane reunited, as they met up in the entry of Longbourn for their morning walk. Looking at his wide smile and dimples, it was hard to believe she had ever thought him proud and disagreeable. Indeed, in such a short time he had become one of the dearest people in the world to her. It amazed her just how quickly hatred had turned to love, and feared that she would wake up one morning to find this had all been a dream. That he had never left Netherfield, and was in fact courting Miss Bingley instead of her.
"You are awful quiet this morning, have I done something to upset you?" He asked once they had walked a short distance from the house, without a single word spoken between them.
"I apologize, I seem to be woolgathering this morning." She said with a tentative smile, unable to keep her irrational fears from her face.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" He asked, concern evident on his face.
"It's silly, I would hate for you to think less of me." She spoke impulsively, unable to stop the words spilling forth from her mouth.
"If it is weighing so heavily on your mind as to steal your ready smile, then I could never think less of you. Indeed, I find I want to help you more." He spoke, compassion shining in his eyes, making what little resolve she still had crumble into dust.
"It is just, well, I have found myself coming to care deeply for you. It has all happened so suddenly, that I fear it all to be a dream, and that I will wake, and you will return to looking at me with haughty, disdainful looks." She felt the heat flood her face, and found she could not bring herself to look at him. "Or worse, that you shall be called away on business, and find someone better than me. Not that I would blame you mind..."
Her rambling was cut it by a tug on her arm, causing her to turn and almost fall into his. His mouth finding hers as if drawn to it by some unseen force. "Impossible," he spoke once they parted, leaving her well and truly dazed, resting his forehead against hers. "There is no one better for me. You have ruined me for all other women. Should you refuse me, I shall die a bitter, only, old man."
She felt him digging around in his pocket, and gasped when he pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal a ring. "Before coming to Hertfordshire I always thought I owed it to myself, my family, and my staff and tenants to marry someone with only the best connections and a large fortune. I am ashamed to say that while I was extremely attracted to you, I loathed the idea of it and connecting myself to you, because your position in life seemed to be so decidedly below my own. It wasn't until your mother rescued Georgiana from the contempt of Miss Bingley, and you and your family showed both my sister and myself such compassion, the likes of which never seen among members of the ton, that I realized I owed it to everyone I cared about to make one such as yourself my wife. The only problem I found was that it was I who was unworthy of you. Because of this I have done all I could think of to make myself worthy, in the hopes that you would accept me when I asked. I sent for this ring, as it is the one every Darcy, as the Master of Pemberley has given their future wife. It was my hope that when I felt I had earned your love, you would consent to be my wife, and this ring would come to rest on your finger, until such a time as we must pass it on to our first son."
Realizing he had begun to ramble, he took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing. "What I mean to say is, please allow me to tell me how ardently I admire and love you. I know I have a ways to go before I shall be worthy of having you as my wife, but if you consent to marrying me I shall strive to become the man you deserve..."
This time it was her that cut him off by pressing her lips to his. "Yes" she whispered, breathlessly once they had separated. "Yes, nothing would make me happier than becoming your wife. Indeed you are a most worthy man in my eyes. In fact I could not think of anyone more worthy, nor that I would desire more than you as a husband..." She did not get to say more as he once again silenced her with his mouth on hers.
They cut their walk short that morning, and returned home so that he could apply to her father for his consent to the marriage. The ladies of the house were in the parlor when the two men entered, and explanation of joy filled the house at the news.
"My dear, you must tell me what you are willing to spend on the wedding. With a little over a month to plan, there is much to do." Her mother spoke with excitement, and an odd lack of nerves.
"A month you say, I was not aware the couple had already set a date." Her father teased, but his expression was softer and showed a decided fondness for his wife that had been absent for so long.
"of course it shall have to be within a month." Her mother was all seriousness and exasperation, "They must marry before Christmas, so that Mr Darcy and Georgiana are officially our children for said holiday."
"I apologize, Mrs Bennet, for my over site. You are of course correct, we must make them officially our children before the holiday, for I can not think of anything that would make me happier...even if it does mean losing our Lizzy to the wilds of Derbyshire."
"What say you, shall four weeks from today be sufficient for you two to plan a wedding." He addressed the couple, and she turned to see her betrothed surreptitiously wipe away a tear.
"I find I would be happy to wed at a moments notice if it allowed me to spend a lifetime with not only your daughter, but to also have a family of not just parents, but multiple siblings as well." He spoke, and no one made mention of how his voice caught in his throat.
Once he had spoken the words his sister sprung to her feet, and rushed across the room, throwing her arms around Elizabeth's own mother. "I have always dreamt of having a mama of my very own, I knew it to be impossible, but I couldn't help but dream. Instead I looked forward to one day having a sister, for I knew that was possible..."
"Shhhh, there there, I know I can never replace your mama, for I'm sure she loved you with everything she had in her. As a mother, I can understand it for I have always felt that way for each and every one of my girls. I will never be able to replace her, but I would be overjoyed to honor her memory by being there for you and your brother now that she is unable to." Her mother comforted the girl, and she looked to Fitzwilliam when she felt his hand close tightly around her own, showing just how affected he was by the words spoken to his sister.
"Well my dear, what are your thoughts?" She looked at her husband, her eyes shining with delight.
"Would you be able to spare me for the weeks leading up to the wedding?" She asked her husband. Lord Matlock had received an express from their nephew with news of his engagement, and inside had been an invitation from his betrothed, and surprisingly enough, her mother, inviting the Countess to come stay with them and help with the wedding planning. In the letter they spoke of their knowledge of how close Fitzwilliam and Georgiana were with her, and how they hoped to honor that connection. She had felt touched and excited to be allowed to take part in the planning, never having gotten to do that for any of her own children. Her eldest married one of the belles of the season years ago, and his wife had successfully driven a wedge between him and his family, and Richard was a long confirmed bachelor and married to the army. She despair ever finding a woman to entice him into leaving it.
"Perhaps we would request Richard accompany you, he has enough leave saved up, and I'm sure would like to help Darcy as he prepares for his wedding." The calculating glint in his eyes sparked her interest, and she couldn't help but wonder if her husband had founds a lady he thought could entice their son away from the army.
"Anything particular there you wish him to view?" She asked, hoping her husband would clue her in, and they could work together on getting their son out of the army.
"The future Mrs Darcy's next younger sister seemed to be an intelligent, and rather calming individual." He hinted for her, and she thought back to what she had seen of the girl. She had been a rather quiet girl, speaking only of scripture and crop rotation. At first she had been rather put off by it, but then the topic of music was brought up, and she watched her become more animated. It was soon clear that these three subjects were ones she had spent much time studying, and therefore most comfortable conversing on. That the girl was likely shy like her own niece and nephew was now clear to her.
what's more, was that with a much less severe hairstyle and more flattering colors for her gowns, she was sure she would be quite pretty. She knew her son prefers darker haired girls, so should this girl suit, it would be the answer to her and her husband's prayers.
"Welcome to Longbourn My Lady." Mrs Bennet spoke with a curtsy when the countess was admitted into their parlor a week later. "We are honored to have you accept our invitation." It was clear she was trying to keep her nerves at bay, and Elizabeth couldn't be more grateful for all that her mother was willing to endure for the happiness of her children.
"I can assure you, the honor is all mine. I can not express how delighted I was to receive your invitation to partake in the planning of the wedding." She spoke as she crossed the room to embrace Georgiana in a warm hug. "Never having daughters of my own, I had hoped to help with the planning of my sons' weddings, and was disappointed when my elder son's wife did not require my help."
"Well we are delighted you could come to help your ladyship." Elizabeth spoke with a smile, seeing her mother's nerves beginning to take over.
"Miss Elizabeth, I am delighted to welcome you to our family, and please, I hope you will call me Aunt Susan, much like Georgiana and Fitzwilliam do." The countess spoke as she crossed over to her and pulled her into a warm hug. "Indeed, I understand from my niece's letters that she has been all but adopted by your family, so I hope you will all be comfortable calling me Aunt Susan someday."
She then crossed the room to stand before Mrs Bennet, "And I hope that you and I shall be very good friends before this is over." She spoke gently, as she took both of the woman's hands in her own, eliciting a tentative smile from her.