To Displease Lady Catherine De Bourgh
Eleven weeks had passed since Mr. Darcy proposed for the second time and was accepted by his beloved Elizabeth Bennet. He visited her as frequently as he could during their courtship. They were to be married in one more week, but both were ready to enter into their lives as husband and wife immediately.
The usual routine of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth was to walk the grounds of Longbourn together at a pace so slow as to be almost ridiculous, but such was the best way to ensure time alone together. On this particular day, as they walked their usual route, the couple reminisced.
"Do you know that it has been over a year since we met?" remarked Mr. Darcy.
"Yes, although it feels much longer," replied Elizabeth. "I cannot believe I have known you for only such a short time."
"A short time it may seem to you!" exclaimed Darcy, "But I have loved you far longer than you have loved me."
"Not so very much longer," said an indignant Elizabeth. "It pains me to be reminded of when I misunderstood your character and behaved so cruelly."
"It pains you, does it?" laughed Darcy.
"Yes, sir, it does. For I love you so much now that I quite detest my own past self."
"And that gives me pain, for I loved your past self," Darcy said seriously, taking Elizabeth's hand in his own. In the last month it had become common for the two to hold hands in private, though polite society did not view the act as altogether prudent.
"My dearest Lizzie," said Mr. Darcy, "I believe we must marry soon. For my love grows so strong as to tempt me to do something so improper…as to kiss you."
"I believe you are right, sir, for I am of a mind to do something so improper as to allow you to kiss me" said Lizzie.
"I suppose you mustn't allow such a thing. Think of how appalled the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh would be!" teased Darcy.
"I fear I am now completely unable to resist you, Mr. Darcy," laughed Lizzie.
"What, you wish to displease the woman who brought us together?" said Darcy, with a mischievous smile.
Elizabeth turned serious. "Would you really have given up on me if it weren't for your aunt's meddling?"
"No," said Darcy, without hesitation. "Although I may have taken too long to apply to you again, and you may have accepted someone else." There was pain in Darcy's eyes. Lizzie could easily recognize it now, that look which he had so often worn in the time after she rejected him. There was a time when she would have attributed it to his wounded pride, but now she knew what he felt was much more akin to longing than resentment.
"I could never have loved someone else," said Elizabeth. "As soon as I read your letter, my heart was set on course to love you forever."
They stopped walking completely. Darcy's intense gaze met a similar look of Elizabeth's, and they shared their first kiss.
Darcy pulled away. "I think we must marry very soon," said the gentleman.
Elizabeth leaned in and met him for another kiss, longer and more passionate this time.
"Very, very soon," she said.
They nearly kissed again, but Mr. Darcy stopped short. One week, he thought to himself, just one more week. Out loud, he said, "Perhaps it would be best for us to spend a little more time apart this week."
Elizabeth sighed but agreed. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Darcy sighed, too. "Then this will be a very painful week for me."
"What a long-suffering gentleman you are," teased Elizabeth. "But I shall do my best to prevent your suffering when I am your wife."
"I look forward to it immensely," said Mr. Darcy. He kissed her hand and took leave.