“Perhaps,” said Darcy, “but I am not one to deny my strengths.”
“Of course not, but do you boast them to all others?”
“In general, I try to avoid doing so.”
They passed the time in this playful manner until Jane and Bingley emerged from the sitting room. Jane was blushing prettily, and Bingley wore a rather silly expression on his handsome face.
With the engagement news, Mrs. Bennet could not help but exclaim that she was the most fortunate mother in the neighborhood as she embraced her eldest daughter. Elizabeth and her sisters all ran to congratulate their eldest sister. Elizabeth and Jane embraced one another, “Oh Jane, I am so thrilled for you!”
“Lizzy is it possible for a person to feel such happiness? I am the most fortunate woman in the world. If only everyone could be as blessed as I!”
“That would be impossible, dear Jane, for no one has a sweeter nature than you.”
“Lizzy, shall you one day be as content as I,” than she dropped her voice, “with Mr. Darcy?”
“I cannot answer that, Jane, for I have not discovered my feelings. But do not worry about me. Focus only on your newfound joy as an engaged woman!”
Darcy went to his friend’s side and clasped his hand in his own. “Congratulations, my friend. You are a fortunate man.”
Bingley said, with a dazzling smile, “I only hope that you can find the joy I have found.” He lowered his voice, “With Miss Elizabeth.”
“Only time will tell,” said Darcy, clapping his friend on the back. “Now, I doubt that you wish to spend the remainder of the evening with me. Enjoy your fiancée’s delightful company.”
The newly engaged couple sat together for the rest of the evening, the gentlemen forgoing the usual separation of the genders. When it was time for the visitors to depart, Elizabeth and Jane escorted them out. Elizabeth and Darcy stood slightly apart to allow the affianced couple a private goodbye. “Miss Bennet, I thoroughly enjoyed tonight, thank you for suffering my constant attention.”
“It was not suffering, per se, sir,” said Elizabeth archly despite her indecisiveness about her feelings.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Then may I ask if you are opposed to me joining Bingley when he comes to call? I am sure he will be doing so quite constantly.”
“I am sure he shall. As for myself, I would be heartily disappointed to be the lone chaperone for Jane and Bingley, for my sisters will protest, and my parents will be much too busy to remain in our sitting room at all hours of the day.”
“As a gentleman it is my duty to keep a lady from suffering so,” said Darcy.
“It certainly is, sir.”
“Then you can depend that I will join Bingley when he visits.”
“I look forward to it,” she said, trying to sound neutral. “Good night.”
“Good night Miss Bennet,” and then he took her hand in his and kissed it in a way that was more a caress than a formality. As Darcy drove away, she realized that tonight had been a successful test, and that she was now open to begin a courtship with this complex man.
Six
Elizabeth’s mind had been in turmoil the entire evening. Her feelings about Mr. Darcy were complicated and uncomfortable. She had already acknowledged the fact that she had been wrong about him in several respects. Darcy had not been guilty of the acrimony Wickham had accused him of inflicting. Although his error in separating Jane from Bingley had been remedied, it did not mean that he had the right to interfere in the first place! She also believed him to still be inconsiderate of her feelings. After all, he had kissed her, twice, against her will. Elizabeth was certain that Darcy did not intend to give her up, but she did not know if she even wanted to look past his arrogance to get to know him better.
Yet, the sensation of his kisses, and the new spark in his eyes when he looked at her, danced through her dreams the entire night, and when she awoke she was thoroughly embarrassed with herself. How could she react so pleasantly to his kisses when they were a total violation of propriety, and, when they came from a man that she did not love? She could not accept her body’s treacherous reactions as a manifestation of tender feelings for Darcy. It made no sense.
In an attempt to clear her mind, Elizabeth donned a bonnet and set out for a solitary walk. It was a bright summer day and she hoped the fresh air could clear her mind of Mr. Darcy.
The sun was shining brightly as Elizabeth set down one of her favorite paths through the moor beside Longbourn. Walking briskly along the path, she hitched up her skirts and began to run. There were few times when she could do so, and alone on the path, she took delight in the exercise. After a few moments she was out of breath, her cheeks rosy and her lips full. Her heart felt lighter and she continued her progress along the route with a contented smile on her face.
Nearly a half an hour later she heard the sound of distant hoof beats. She paused and looked over her shoulder and spied Mr. Darcy, on his beautiful black stallion, approaching around the bend. She suspected that he had intentionally timed his outing and knew that she could not avoid meeting him. So she allowed herself to observe his approach and was surprised to discover the fine figure he cut on horseback. His frame was erect and his dark hair tousled by the wind. He wore a slight smile on his face. Darcy was an incredibly handsome man, and she wondered why she had not noticed just how attractive he was before this moment. Her breath caught as he slowed to a halt a few feet away from her. “Miss Bennet,” he said, somewhat short-winded, “What a pleasing surprise it is to happen upon you here. I had not expected to see you until this afternoon.”
“You have exceptional timing, Sir, to catch a lady unawares,” she said with mock sweetness. “I am certain that Jane will be pleased to hear that Mr. Bingley intends to visit this afternoon.”
“Bingley is eager to see his fiancée, I am astonished that he did not attempt to rush over to Longbourn the moment the sun rose,” said Darcy, unsure of what to say next. Despite her skepticism, he had not been planning on happening upon Elizabeth this morning, but of course, the thought had occurred to him that they might meet somewhere on the path due to her love of early morning walks. He could not ignore how lovely she looked this morning, with her hair in a loose knot and a few stray curls peeking out from the light blue bonnet she wore. “Would you be opposed to company, Miss Bennet?”
Elizabeth, startled from the question, answered quickly without thinking. “I suppose not.” Again, she could not understand why she was allowing them to be alone together.
She could not graciously withdraw her acquisition, and Darcy practically leapt off his horse and tied it to a nearby sapling. “Thank you,” he said, offering her his arm.
Elizabeth hesitated before putting her hand on his arm and setting off down the path. “You like to ride then?” she asked dumbly.
“I love to ride and try to do so every morning.”
“You are fortunate that the weather permitted your activity this morning.”
“I quite enjoy riding through the countryside. I look forward to doing so for the next few months.”
Months? Elizabeth looked away, immediately understanding that she had been correct in her assumption Darcy was unwilling to give up on her. “I hope the summer rain does not inhibit your plans,” she said quietly.
Darcy looked at Elizabeth with worry wondering if he had said anything that had troubled her. However, he could think of nothing. Her discomfort distressed him and in an attempt to discover the reason behind it he hesitantly asked, “Is something troubling you, Miss Bennet?”
Elizabeth avoided his question, kept her eyes focused on the road ahead and said, “It is pleasant in the early summer, and I am sure the shooting will be good at this time of year.”
Darcy frowned at Elizabeth’s aversion; unsure if he should say anything directly about what had passed between them while they were in Kent, or what they had discussed when they met a few days before. Still, he needed some way to disco
ver the state of her mind as it concerned him. It was clear that Elizabeth was determined not to look at him, so over the next few moments, he asked her innocent and polite questions in attempt to show her that he had attended to her criticisms at Kent.
After a time he asked, “How long has Miss Lydia Bennet been in Brighton?”
Elizabeth answered, “About a month. The militia left the second week in May and Lydia quickly followed them with Colonel Forster and his wife.”
“Is your family yet lamenting their absence?”
“My mother does, and Kitty is occasionally distressed that she was not invited along with Lydia, but otherwise my family is managing tolerably.”
“And what are your thoughts on the subject, Miss Bennet?” desperately trying to discover Elizabeth’s feelings.
Elizabeth raised a brow at him and said, “I am quite relieved that they are gone.”
“Indeed?” asked Darcy.
“Yes, as I told you in Kent, I did believe your letter, and as you know, I acknowledged you were innocent of any malice in the case of Mr. Wickham.”
“I remember,” he said, quietly, remembering, too, what had happened next as well.
“If I am not mistaken, you interpreted my forgiveness to mean something deeper than it did.”
Darcy cringed, “Indeed I did, Miss Bennet. I had incorrectly thought that my letter improved your opinion.”
“You were not wrong in your assumption, sir,” she said evenly. “You just assumed far too much.”
“Again, I must apologize,” he said.
“Once again your apology is accepted, Mr. Darcy, but I do not believe you interrupted your morning ride just to apologize.”
“You are perceptive, Miss Bennet,” said Mr. Darcy. “I was hoping for an answer to my question of a future with you.”
Elizabeth knew that this was coming. She knew Darcy deserved an answer, and at last she was ready to give one. Elizabeth gathered the courage to meet his gaze, and once again she discovered the familiar spark in his dark eyes, the same that had been there just before he had kissed her last. “Truly, my opinion of you has improved, and last month I will admit that I may have glimpsed a future with you. At that time, I had hoped to know you better, but as I waited disappointedly for your promised visit, I came to realize that I barely knew you at all. Therefore, at this point in time, I must make it clear that I cannot agree to a future with you.”
Darcy frowned at her words. “I understand,” he said, returning his attention to the path ahead.
An inexplicable feeling of regret suddenly lanced through Elizabeth’s heart as she observed Darcy’s displeasure. Choosing her words with extreme care she said, “I grossly misjudged your character. I let my anger and hurt get the best of me that day in Kent. I, too, must be given a chance to mend this mistake.”
This caught Darcy’s attention and his gaze turned back to her.
Elizabeth smiled at him for the first time and said, “If you intend to stay at Netherfield for a time that is.”
“Miss Bennet, forgive my frankness, but I had intended to stay as long as it took for me to gain your good opinion. You must understand that our month apart was agonizing for me, and every day I feared that you would change your mind about wishing to know me better. That is why I was so eager to ignore my illness and directly return to your side and damn the consequences.”
Elizabeth flushed at his forward sentiments, but allowed a small smile to curve her lips. “I never thought a mere illness would hold the great Mr. Darcy back from anything.”
“It was not only the illness, but also Colonel Fitzwilliam. He threatened to flail me soundly within an inch of my life if I did anything rash. Mind you, I was sorely tempted to call his bluff.”
“I am glad you did not challenge Colonel Fitzwilliam. I do not know how you would have fared against a military man,” she said.
“I would have ended up worse for the wear, to be sure. Colonel Fitzwilliam is well aware of my weaknesses and he would no doubt exploit them if he thought it was for the best.”
Elizabeth’s laughter was like beautiful music.
Darcy was grateful that he had managed to make Elizabeth laugh, and then he placed his free hand over her gloved one. The familiar sensation of his touch jolted through her body, and Elizabeth found herself blushing deeper. Darcy observed this with pleasure and was smiling slightly as they walked along. As time passed it was growing increasingly difficult to ignore Elizabeth’s scent of lavender. She was so close to him, it was intoxicating. How could he resist taking her in his arms when even the slightest touch of her hand made his heart race?
At long last they returned to where he had tied his horse. Darcy was reluctant to end the time alone with her, but with no excuse to linger, her kissed her gloved hand and mounted his horse. “I shall see you later then, Miss Bennet.” He snapped the reins and urged his horse into a canter, leaving Elizabeth in his wake.
As she watched him ride away, all she could think about was the sensation of his lips upon her hand, and the kisses they had shared in both Kent and London.
Darcy and Bingley did visit later that day and by the end of the visit, Darcy had somehow managed to convince Elizabeth to meet him again the next morning. Elizabeth would be hard pressed to remember exactly how it had happened, as nothing direct was ever said. It was strange, but for the rest of the evening and all through the night, Elizabeth’s heart was filled with an unfamiliar anticipation.
***
Elizabeth awakened early the next day, and after a hurried breakfast, she left the house after first telling her family she was in need of some fresh air.
Elizabeth set off at an unladylike pace, lifting her skirts up so that she would not trip over them as she ran across the rougher parts of the road. It was exhilarating to run, and for a few brief moments, she felt as if all her worries had disappeared. She continued on in that manner until she suddenly found herself on the ground. In her exuberance she had missed seeing a bump in the road, which had caused her to tumble onto the grass. Not one to dwell on her mistakes, she threw her head back and laughed at her clumsiness. She was certain that Darcy would soon arrive, but she did not rise from her position until she heard the sound of hoof beats advancing.
Darcy, once again, approached her on his handsome stallion. She was leaning against a tree looking up at him as he slid off his horse and tied it down. “Miss Bennet, it seems that I have happened upon you at a most convenient time as it appears that you might require my assistance.” He then held out his hand for her.
For the second time, she allowed herself to notice how dapper he looked. He was properly and carefully dressed, yet his dark curls were disarrayed in a sweet manner. The now familiar glint in his dark eyes and a small smile on his face considerably warmed his features. It was more than a little overwhelming to her sensibilities.
Darcy was admiring Elizabeth in a similar way and was pleased to see that there was a slight blush creeping about her cheeks, and her fine eyes were already sparkling due to her exercise. The simple style of her hair this early morning did not alter her beauty in the slightest. Almost immediately, Darcy dreamed of taking her in his arms and kissing her until she agreed to become engaged to him. Dreams aside, he settled for falling into step beside her and saying, “You seem surprised to see me, Miss Bennet, have you so quickly forgotten that meeting here was your suggestion?”
“I do believe the suggestion was yours, sir, and I did not realize you were so eager to meet me,” she said archly.
“I merely wished to provide you a venue in which to get to know me better.”
“I see, then let us walk.” Together they left the grass for the road and headed down the path. They talked of insignificant manners for a time, and slowly began to learn about each other, Darcy, all the while longing to take her in his arms and kiss her once again.
Oddly enough, Elizabeth had been strangely anticipating their alone time, part of her treacherously hoping for a repeat of their times in
Kent and London. She knew it was highly improper, but the sensation of his kisses was too great to deny. “Mr. Darcy,” she said as they approached a small copse of trees off to one side of the path, “I do believe you wished to provide a chance for me to get to know you better. I know for a fact that this grove of trees is quite private.”
If Darcy was startled by her request, he tried not to let it show, careful to not give her any reason to regret her spontaneous decision. He followed her lead as she strayed from the path and slipped in between the trees.
They were barely concealed within the trees before Darcy took Elizabeth in his arms and held her tightly. It felt so right. After a few wonderful moments, Elizabeth said softly, almost timidly, “Mr. Darcy, if you wish, you may kiss me now.”
“Are you sure, Elizabeth? I do not wish to force myself on you.”
“It is hardly forcing yourself upon me if I have given you my permission, but if you do not take this opportunity now, I may quickly change my mind.”
He cupped her face in his hand and brushed his lips against hers in a tantalizing kiss. The effect on both was profound. Elizabeth could scarcely believe that this was happening. The last time Darcy had kissed her was a day filled with uncertainties. She was unsure of her feelings and unsure of her wishes. Even though she did not completely understand her feelings, she was on her way to discovering just what her heart required. So, she allowed herself to experience his kiss with an open mind and found herself savoring the incredible sensation of his lips against her own. She felt her arms impulsively wrapping themselves around his neck, bringing him as close as possible. His hands pressed against her lower back as he the kiss lingered. After a few moments he paused in his attentions to observe the effect of his kisses upon his beloved Elizabeth. He was extremely pleased to see that her eyes pooled with a passion only familiar to him in his dreams. She was smiling, her lips parted slightly, and she looked so bewitching that he had to kiss her one last time, lest she decide that she could no longer tolerate his attentions.
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