by K C Kahler
“I can fix on the precise hour, the exact spot, and the specific look when I knew that I loved you, though I suspect the moment when I actually fell in love with you precedes them by several days.”
His certainty surprised her. “Indeed? And will you not share these love-inducing events? I shall advise my unattached sisters how to duplicate them and catch their own rich husbands.”
He turned back towards the room. “You sat in that very settee with your legs up. Your mother had just mortified you by scheming to match Lydia with me, and your father had finally checked her behaviour. The way you looked at him… I knew I wanted you to look upon me with such love. I knew I loved you.”
She grasped his arm as they turned back to look out the window. A few large snowflakes fell in the dusk. “And when do you suspect you actually fell in love with me?”
“It must have been at another window, only I lurked outside of it, peering in at a woman of such integrity and strength of character as I had never imagined.”
She leaned into him, squeezing his arm. “Thank you, my love,” she whispered, full of emotion.
“To what do these questions tend?” he asked.
“Oh, this will sound strange, but Mary wished me to ask.”
“Mary?”
“It was she who first wondered how you knew my middle name. She also asked me several questions about our…well, what you might call our courtship, in retrospect. I promised all my sisters some form of recompense for having kept such secrets from them. Kitty and Lydia’s retribution took a more material form, but Mary only wanted information. She will not reveal our private affairs to anyone.”
“Yes, I know. Would you…may I ask you the same question? When did you first love me?”
“It has been coming on so gradually that I hardly know when it began. But I believe I must date it from our first dance.”
Darcy recalled that dance, how they had moved in perfect unison. “It was an exceptional dance. And when did you realise that you loved me, if not then?”
“I finally admitted it to myself on the balcony at Lucas Lodge.”
Darcy sighed. “And then I almost let you slip away. I wonder how long we might have continued in our mutual misunderstanding. Hurst’s injury had certainly great effect, for it lured Mr Lucas here to lend assistance. What becomes of the moral if our comfort springs from a tragedy? This will never do.”
“You need not distress yourself. The moral will be perfectly fair. Lady Catherine’s unexpected visit and Anne’s open disavowal of your rumoured betrothal were the means of removing all my doubts. We are not indebted for our present happiness to Mr Hurst’s injury. I would have certainly spoken to you directly upon our next meeting, whenever that may have been.”
“Lady Catherine has been of infinite use, which ought to make her happy, for she loves to be of use. But I think the true moral must be that we ought to always speak openly and freely with each other and never hesitate to share our thoughts.”
She looked up at him warmly. “You are indeed the cleverest of men, Mr Darcy.”
“I shall be the happiest of men on the day you become Mrs Darcy, and every day thereafter. March first seems a very long way off,” he grumbled.
“Yes, but with Charlotte and Anne to wed in the interim, it is the earliest date that allows us all to attend each other’s happy days. Just imagine how much longer we should have waited if Jane and Charles had not agreed to a double wedding.”
* * *
Elizabeth Darcy shifted carefully in the bed, trying not to disturb her…husband. She could not help her mental pause at the thought, for it was the second day of March, her first morning with a new name and a new husband. A new life.
Yesterday, she had said goodbye to her parents, her sisters, and the only home she had ever known. The most difficult parting was of course with Jane, but Elizabeth had been surprised by the poignancy of some of the other farewells too. She had grown closer to her younger sisters over the last few months, possibly because they all realised their lives would soon be forever altered.
Likewise, her relationship with her father had deepened and become richer since confronting him at the picnic. How strange to think that very act of defiance had begun both her and Jane’s journeys towards their current married state.
After the wedding breakfast, she and John had said their goodbyes as well. “You look beautiful—the perfect bride,” he had said.
“Have I fooled even you in my finery? Surely not. In a moment you will touch my nose and call me Lizzybits.”
“I think not, Mrs Darcy,” he had replied.
With those few words from her childhood friend, Elizabeth suddenly felt the full magnitude of the transformation her life had just undergone. Gone forever were her carefree days of tree climbing and reckless dares and so many hours of fun that she could not begin to tally them. Henceforth, she would only return to her childhood home as a visitor. It was different for a man, an heir. John had gone off and had his adventure, but there had never been a doubt, barring some tragedy, that he would return to live his life in his boyhood home.
“Oh John.” She had reached for his hands. “I have great plans for epic cricket matches at Pemberley. You must come this summer.”
He had laughed. “Your Mr Darcy has already requested my participation.”
Then she had felt “her Mr Darcy” at her side, supporting her elbow. “The carriage is ready. Are you ready to depart, Mrs Darcy?”
“Quite ready, and I do enjoy being addressed thus.”
He had smiled, revealing those much-heralded dimples. “Not nearly as much as I enjoy addressing you thus, Mrs Darcy.”
Elizabeth’s recollections were halted when her Mr Darcy shifted in bed behind her. Sharing her bed was not a new experience, not with four sisters—but her sisters were never so warm, so large, so…naked. Last night, their state of nudity had seemed, if not perfectly normal, then exceedingly necessary. Indeed, at a certain point, any remaining garments were a most irksome impediment. But that was last night. To find herself naked next to an equally naked man in the light of morning was another thing entirely.
A forearm worthy of ogling stole around her waist. She waited, too embarrassed to turn over and face him. His deep voice made her shiver when he said near her ear, “Good morning, Lizzy.”
It was the first time he had ever called her Lizzy. During their engagement, she had been Elizabeth. Yesterday, she had been Mrs Darcy. Today, she was Lizzy. She turned over onto her back, her nakedness forgotten.
He was propped up on his elbow, looking down at her with a mixture of admiration, tenderness, and wonder. Oh, but he was handsome, his hair disheveled, a hint of beard growth on his jaw. He took her breath away.
Finally, she broke their silent communion. “Say it again, my love,” she whispered, placing her hand against his rough cheek.
He kissed her palm before lowering his face to hover just above hers. “Good morning, Lizzy.” He kissed her. “My Lizzy.”
And she was.
About the Author
KC Kahler lives in northeastern Pennsylvania and works in online education, after having dabbled in sandwich making, bug collecting, and web development. She discovered Jane Austen fan fiction in 2008 and soon began dabbling in writing her own. KC’s first novel, Boots & Backpacks, was published in 2014. A Case of Some Delicacy is her second novel.
KC blogs about Austen and other pop culture topics. In 2015 and 2017 her popular Austen + The Onion Headlines meme was featured in The Atlantic, Flavorwire, and AV Club. In 2017, she made the requisite pilgrimage to Jane Austen country, where she took the waters in Bath, walked the lanes of Steventon, didn’t fall off the Cobb in Lyme Regis, and stood awestruck in Chawton.
For more information about new releases, sales and promotions on books by KC and other great authors, please visit www.QuillsAndQuartos.com.
Also by KC Kahler
Boots and Backpacks-Pride & Prejudice on the Appalachian Trail, Roughly
/> William Darcy counts down the last few months to his 30th birthday with dread. Orphaned as a child, his parents’ will includes a bizarre clause: Darcy must get married by his 30th birthday in order to inherit the family fortune. To make matters worse, the press knows about this deadline, as do the hordes of women chasing him in the hopes of becoming Mrs. Darcy. His family legacy hangs in the balance, but Darcy has little faith in the fairer sex. Will he find a woman he wants to marry, and quickly?
Elizabeth Bennet is determined to pursue her education and career without letting a man get in the way. When her traveling companion drops out, her planned hike on the Appalachian Trail is jeopardized. She meets the spoiled, snobby William Darcy just when he is desperate to escape the spotlight. No one will suspect that the Prince of Manhattan has gone backpacking! Darcy and Elizabeth form a tenuous partnership and begin a 300-mile journey that will transform them both.
In classic romantic comedy tradition, Boots & Backpacks follows our reluctant partners as they build trust, friendship, and even more. Six weeks together on America’s most famous hiking trail may turn out to be just what these two need!
