Given that Darcy is practically immortal, I had originally toyed with the idea of making this a series. Unfortunately, on just about every fanfiction metric it has proved one of my less popular stories. Especially when you have reviewers urging you to finish :) Nonetheless, I had fun writing it. Thank you again to my reviewers for coming along on the ride and helping to shape the story.

Here it is—the last chapter. As I have a backlog of books in my publication pipeline, I will keep this story up for a while—until there has been no review for a month or it reaches half a million views, like my other stories. I will take a short break now while I push the publication process along for Sweet Torment and The Lectrice. I should be back to continue Cinder Lizzy soon.

If you want me to continue The Raven, please review. Like Nemesis, I will not be taking it forward unless I get ten reviews for the first chapter. If I do continue it, it will, like Ruth, be an occasional story.

Suggestions for the title of chapter 45 were:

"The Beginning" by Deanna27,

"chains of love [got a hold on me]" or "my baby's got me locked up in chains" or "A Wedding Night Ride", "Wedding Night Restraint", "A Most Unusual Wedding Night" by suddenlysingle,

"Bless and bliss" or "A ride to HEAven" Laura Saint-yves,

"Cindereliza and the Golden Slippers" by nanciellen,

"Finally" or "Finally a new beginning/something new" or "(Leg) Shakled" or "Bound (for life?)" by beaty,

"I give you my hand" by Windchimed,

"The Ties That Bind" by Dizzy Lizzy.60.

I also re-entered "Bonds of love" by Anglocelt, which was suggested for a previous chapter.

Oh, so many really clever ones! I thought of "my hand in marriage" based on your suggestion, Windchimed. Kudos! And I liked "The Ties That Bind" by Dizzy Lizzy.60. I decided to go with "Leg–Shackled" by beaty.

Finally the three chapter winners, chosen randomly are

35, 29, 37.

That's

35: "Slightly disguised" by Deanna27,

29: "I'll take the red" by YepItsMe,

37: "A cryptic encounter" by Laura Saint Yves.

Congratulations! I'll be contacting you shortly on how to claim your prize and thank you to everyone who entered!

Chapter 46

Darcy and Lizzy continued to caress each other as they lay in the afterglow of their lovemaking. It would have been wonderful to fall asleep in each other's arms, perhaps to wake and make love again. Both knew that could not happen.

Lizzy, feeling her eyelids drooping, eventually tore herself away. She freed Darcy from his shackles before she left. Then she drew her wrap around her and gave him a chaste parting kiss. There was still a good hour left of the night, which Darcy intended to employ reading before retiring to be reshackled before sunrise. They had made a pact to go down for breakfast together before noon.

When Lizzy woke, she felt a little disoriented before realising she was in the mistress's chamber, cocooned within the hangings of the four-poster bed. Her trunk had been moved there yesterday after she had dressed for the ceremony upstairs in the guest chamber she had originally occupied. She had not drawn the hangings when she had climbed sleepily into bed in the morning. Her maid must have done so when she entered the room. Stretching her hand out, Lizzy tugged at the hangings to open them. She succeeded in parting them a couple of inches, enough to establish that the curtains over the windows were still closed, making it difficult to read the time on the ormolu clock* on the mantelpiece. A figure emerged from the dressing room. It was Sally Reynolds, her new maid.

"Would the mistress like the hangings open?" the girl asked.

"What time is it, Sally?"

"Almost eleven, ma'am. I would have woken you in a few minutes as your note requested me."

"Yes, please open the hangings, and the curtains also, so I can get used to the light."

The girl tugged on the bell pull near the bed and proceeded to draw the curtains while Lizzy lay back on the pillows and surveyed her new chamber. Beyond noting the room's high ceiling and opulence, she'd had little time or desire to examine it yesterday evening when she had taken off her wedding gown by candlelight. She had been filled with nervous anticipation for the consummation of her marriage.

In the morning sun, she now saw that the room was a cheery yellow and thought she rather liked it. It was beautiful without being overly pompous or fussy. The walls were a solid colour, with only some leaves painted above the picture rail as an adornment. A single portrait of a lady graced the walls. The floor was covered with a large Aubusson rug in autumn hues. On the whole Lizzy felt she could be comfortable here without changing a thing—perhaps the portrait. It somehow felt uncomfortable to have an unknown person constantly staring at you. Perhaps it would do better in the portrait gallery.

Tossing this thought aside, Lizzy sighed with relief and contentment. Her body had a wonderful 'used' feeling to it, like she had been on an energetic walk. Her anxieties last night had not only been those of a maiden confronted with the mysteries that had been kept from her for the best part of her life. She had lied by omission last night when she had implied to Darcy that her recent enlightenment had only been due to her aunt and Charlotte, who through embarrassment or sheer awfulness had given her nothing to look forward to.

No, Lizzy had also the inescapable experience of Lydia who described to Kitty at any moment when no servant was by, the remarkable powers of that seducer Mr Wickham. Lizzy had unfortunately walked in on several of those confidences. One could at least say that Lydia had truly enjoyed her ruin.

So Lizzy had known the act could be enjoyable with an eager and experienced lover. But what, she had thought, of her? With her husband in chains, Lizzy had realised that she would have to have a more active part in a process she was barely familiar with. It had been a daunting thought—so daunting, that she had thrown herself into the wedding preparations with gusto, even though she had always disdained Kitty and Lydia chattering constantly of the details of their proposed nuptials with every officer who had taken their fancy.

Now she could be easier. With her husband's help Lizzy had cleared the first hurdle and was now truly Mrs Darcy. She felt an upwelling of pride in her accomplishment and in tender feelings for her husband. If she had been the driver, it was Darcy's gentle initiation and encouragement that had instructed their success.

True, there were many hurdles yet to negotiate in their marriage, the chief of which was the need to master alchemy and any other branch of science that might bring Darcy further relief from his unnatural urges. Ultimately there was the riddle of his condition to be solved, the complete restoration of his humanity. Whether it was achievable, Lizzy did not know but she was determined to give it her best shot.

What she did know now was that aside from his vampirism, Darcy was not an ordinary man. He had resource and determination beyond that of most of his fellows. That was what she had finally appreciated during the short time she had so far been in residence at Pemberley; the thing that had converted her pity to an appreciation of his finer qualities. The count had certainly known what he was doing in choosing Fitzwilliam Darcy as his 'disciple'.

The clock in the hall struck eleven. There was a knock on the door and a chambermaid entered carrying a brass pail of hot water, which she handed to Sally. After a brief whispered exchange, the chambermaid left with a chamberpot and Sally retreated to the dressing room to prepare for Lizzy's toilette. In her moment of privacy, Lizzy used the chamberpot in the bed steps. It was going to take some getting used to—being waited on hand and foot.

When Sally came into the room, Lizzy asked if the portrait was of her husband's mother.

"No, that is his maternal grandmother, ma'am. The eighth Countess of Matlock. She was a great beauty but died very young."

Lizzy nodded. It seemed the room had not been changed since the former Mrs Darcy had last used it. Her lips twisted into a smile to think of her own mother's portrait hanging there, wearing her lace cap. Maybe not.

Once her ablutions were finished, Sally helped Lizzy into her gown and deftly arranged her hair in an elaborate style. Lizzy had already appreciated Sally's efforts yesterday when she had trialed her as maid during the preparations for the wedding on the housekeeper's recommendation. Clearly Mrs Reynolds had been training her granddaughter well in the hope she might assume the post of the mistress's maid one day. Despite Georgie's recommendation that Lizzy acquire a French maid in London like herself, Lizzy thought Sally would do very well.

Lizzy emerged from the dressing room, fragrant and feeling more polished than she was used to, to consult the ormolu clock once more. It was now a quarter to twelve. She drew back the bolt that Finn had arranged to be fitted to the internal door by the blacksmith from Lambton. He had also fitted bolts to the windows so they could be left safely in a partially open position. Mr Darcy was very careful for the safety of his new wife.

Opening the door, Lizzy spied Fitzwilliam waiting for her in their shared sitting room.

"Good morning," said Darcy, setting down the book he was reading to stand up. "I hope you slept well?"

Lizzy could see that he was a little embarrassed and wondered what could be the cause of it.

"Yes, thank you," she replied. "I am sure that I will be sleepy this afternoon, but for the moment I feel refreshed."

Darcy hesitated. "I hope you are not sore. I must apologise for my behaviour—laughing and so on. I expect it was not what you had imagined. I should have been more tender."

Lizzy stepped forward to squeeze his hand. "I was not offended and I think I understand. It must have been quite cathartic?"

He drew her into a tight embrace. "Thank you," he whispered into her hair.

Lizzy hugged him back, again wondering what it was that made him smell so wonderful. It seemed Darcy would never let her go, but finally his hold slackened. He stepped back and self-consciously straightened his waistcoat.

"What are you reading?" asked Lizzy, bridging the awkward moment.

"I have been comparing your notes to the alchemical text you were studying. I must say they are considerably enlightening. I was terribly daunted when I first looked at those books after purchasing them. They seemed like so much gibberish."

Lizzy laughed. "I know what you mean. I have a copy of that very book in my still room at Longbourn, which was why I chose it as my entrée. I was surprised by how much progress I made in better understanding the text. I suppose that my repeated attempts to understand it helped. It seemed to suddenly reveal itself."

Darcy took her hand. "Perhaps it is because you now have a sense of purpose."

Lizzy nodded slowly. "I believe you are right. It is difficult. No doubt my lazy mind shied from the effort before. Now I know I must understand it, I struggle that bit harder."

Darcy looked at her proudly and saw a wicked gleam steal into her eye.

"As for gibberish," ventured Lizzy, "I'll have you know that Sir Isaac Newton spent many an hour poring over texts like these and doing his own experiments."

"Impossible!" said Darcy hotly. "He was England's greatest scientist!"

"It is true," averred Lizzy. "My father was about to go to Cambridge on Lord Pevensey's behalf to start the rather daunting task of going through Newton's extensive notes at Trinity. I believe nearly a third of Newton's writings were on alchemy and there were probably more—some were destroyed by a fire in his laboratory."

"Interesting," said Darcy. "And are the notes still at Trinity?"

"I could not say. I believe Lord Pevensey wished to acquire them but whether he succeeded I do not know. My father would certainly have liked to get his hands on them. On the few occasions he referred to them, I detected a note of regret in his voice, a sense of lost opportunity."

The poignancy of Lizzy's last statement was unfortunately undermined by a tummy rumble.

"Oh dear!" she laughed apologetically, clutching her midriff. "Shall we go downstairs?"

No one thought it strange when the newlyweds descended to the breakfast room together as planned, particularly those who had also gone to bed in the wee hours to wake with an aching head. The Gardiners were pleased to see that Lizzy positively glowed and was looking very sophisticated with a new hairstyle and a spencer* they had not seen before. Darcy looked happier and easier than his relatives had known him for years, recalling them to those halcyon days of his youth before his father had died.

"Oh! They adjusted it so well!" said Georgie of the jacket as Lizzy down beside her. "It looks ever so much better on you than it ever did on me!"

"Nonsense, Georgie," replied Elizabeth. "However, it you have grown so tall as to no longer fit into your clothes, I will not disdain them!"

Darcy smiled upon his wife. He knew his sister's clothes for her come-out had cost a small fortune. When he had seen the bill from the modiste he had vaguely wondered if they were lined with gold. No wonder they usually waited till girls were full grown before taking into society! He was glad Elizabeth could make some use of them. He knew he would not get a tenth of their price if sold secondhand, as the countess had advised him, and there were no female cousins upon which to bestow them.

The Right Reverend Avery Fitzwilliam departed for Lincoln shortly after they dined. The countess returned to Matlock soon after, begging Darcy to apprise her of when they would next be in London so that she might relocate there from Hampstead.

Thankful he could once more retreat to the darkness of his study, Darcy spent the afternoon with Lizzy, studying the alchemical texts while the Gardiners took advantage of the sunny day to roam the gardens with Bingley and Georgiana. When Darcy tried to encourage Lizzy outside, she expressed contentment with her current situation, reminding him that they might be forced to keep their distance from as early as tomorrow.

So it turned out to be. The morning brought Lizzy's period. Not one to repine at the end of their abbreviated honeymoon, Lizzy was merely happy that she had spent a second evening of intimacy with Darcy before their enforced separation. She had insisted he take his nightshirt off before being restrained and was thoroughly glad she had done so. Images of his well muscled shoulders and chest set her daydreaming for several days afterwards.

She spent her subsequent mornings with Georgie and Jane, industriously cleaning and rearranging the still-room, or at least she and Jane did so while Georgie gave orders to the chambermaids who had been enlisted to help them. The Gardiners and Bingley went fishing. The Bennet sisters spent their afternoons together, either in the gardens when it was sunny or in one of the parlours when the weather was not conducive to being outdoors. Darcy occasionally joined them for tea so as not to appear unsocial but these were awkward moments when he had to keep his distance from Lizzy without appearing to be shunning his wife.

At last the period of danger passed and the Gardiners' apprehensions that their niece's marriage might have already encountered a shoal were assuaged. Their last three days in Derbyshire were spent very comfortably in the company of their niece and new nephew, allowing them to say farewell with every assurance of Elizabeth's future felicity.

For Lizzy, the final parting from Jane was bittersweet. They had never been much apart before. Elizabeth knew that she, at least, had the solace of having found a companion worthy of her heart and mind. She still worried for Jane about Bingley's constancy, especially since he was braving family disapproval in marrying Jane. Tears were shed.

Lizzy received a heartfelt hug from Georgiana as she waved her relatives off down the drive.

"Well," said Georgie. "I am of the firm opinion that we need to go to Derby for some shopping to cheer ourselves up, or even as far as York."

"Do what you must, Georgie," commented Darcy. "But I have promised Bingley I will return the favour by standing up with him for his wedding in Hertfordshire as soon as he has settled the date. So I expect we will be returning there and thence to London in a few weeks time."

Georgie clapped her hands together and jumped up and down. "Oh, Elizabeth! I want to show you all the shops! And you must use my modiste! She is the best in London!"

"It would appear your sister is bent on spending all of the outrageous sum you have bestowed on me for pin money!" Lizzy teased Darcy.

"That is what pin money is for," said Darcy languidly. "Now if you don't mind, I would like to go back to the depths of my study."

The Gardiners' journey southward with Jane and Bingley was pleasant and uneventful. Bingley was an amiable travelling companion and Mr Gardiner was glad of his help in defraying the cost of the journey. Nonetheless, as they neared Longbourn, the fact that Mr Gardiner had given away his brother-in-law's favourite daughter in marriage without so much as a 'by your leave' began to prey on his mind.

At little worried at the possibility of a scene, Mr Gardiner convinced Bingley he would best make his appearance at Longbourn tomorrow around noon, once the Gardiners had departed for London with their small tribe of children. Mrs Bennet, Bingley was assured, would be overjoyed to see him and her congratulations on the impending marriage would be unimpeded by the Gardiners' arrival or departure. So they dropped Bingley off at Netherfield where Mrs Nicholls was expecting him.

When the post-chaise arrived at Longbourn, Fanny was the first out the door to greet them, even before the Gardiner children came bounding from the garden. She was greatly disappointed that Mr Bingley was not among them and so effusive in her congratulations to Jane that she at first completely failed to notice Lizzy's absence. The travellers had all removed their hats and proceeded to the parlour for tea before the eldest Gardiner child remarked on it just as Mr Bennet walked into the room.

"Where is Aunt Lizzy?" rang into an unfortunate silence.

"Well, Brother," said Mr Gardiner, turning to address Mr Bennet rather than the querying child, "as you asked us to find someone for Lizzy after Jane's betrothal, we did so! You know we were visiting Pemberley. Well, she married Mr Darcy! I have a letter from her here for each of you."

And so saying he drew two letters from his waistcoat and handed them to the respective parents. Mr Bennet went a little white about the mouth but Mrs Bennet amply filled the silence with a squeal of delight.

She hastened to open her letter and proceeded to acquaint the whole company with its contents and her commentary upon it while Mr Bennet quietly tucked his into his waistcoat.

"Oh, Brother! I cannot tell you how happy this makes me!" Mrs Bennet said in conclusion. "Two daughters married! And so well! We are saved!"

"Yes," said Mr Bennet urbanely as he sipped his tea. "I can meet my Maker now without worrying you unduly."

"You know, Mr Bennet," said his wife, "that we all wish you a long and prosperous life. But it is a comfort to know that we will not be destitute if you do not do so!"

At that moment the youngest Gardiner child ran up to give his father another hug, so pleased was he to see him, and Mr Gardiner used the distraction to smooth over the awkward moment.

"Well!" he declared, "how have you three bunnies been getting along, eh?"

"Aunt Lydia is getting really fat," replied the child innocently.

"Oh!" said Mrs Bennet, waxing lyrical again. "Dear Lizzy! What jewels and carriages she will have!"

Although things had not gone off too badly. Mr Gardiner was certainly glad he had persuaded Mr Bingley to delay his appearance. Nonetheless he felt bad about Mr Bennet's reaction. One could never tell with his mercurial brother-in-law; he seemed a master of perversity.

Later, when Mr Bennet had returned to his study after dinner, Mr Gardiner sought him out in a second attempt to set things right.

Mr Bennet raised his head from a book when Mr Gardiner poked his head around the door. Mr Bennet's rather belligerent expression, used for warding off Mrs Bennet and silly daughters, was not encouraging.

"I hope I did not do wrong in promoting Lizzy's marriage, Brother," began Mr Gardiner. "Although it may have seemed precipitate, I believe Mr Darcy's partiality for Lizzy is quite longstanding. He had formed quite an attachment to her ere he rescued her from the burning parsonage, you know."

Mr Bennet's awful expression receded and was replaced by one of polite indifference.

"Indeed," said Mr Bennet. "Mr Darcy sent some tokens of his affection before departing Netherfield. As for Lizzy, one can never tell what silly girls will do."

He returned to reading his book.

With this Mr Gardiner had to be satisfied. But as he left the study, he saw Lizzy's letter lying open on Mr Bennet's desk, satisfying him that at least Mr Bennet had read it.

Jane and Bingley were married two weeks later to great fanfare. Mrs Bennet did her daughter proud, with the best wedding dress and breakfast the shire had seen for some time. Bingley's relatives may not have made it from Yorkshire, but several of his friends and colleagues ventured down from London for the day, and the Gardiners also returned.

The Darcys did make it from Derbyshire, to stay at Netherfield. Despite the morning hour, Darcy stood up with his friend, arriving with Lizzy and Georgie in his dark coach, wearing his dark glasses and carrying a black parasol. He caused quite a stir among the villagers who later celebrated Jane's nuptials with a keg Mr Bennet had provided at the inn. They jokingly declared Lizzy Bennet had married the Prince of Darkness.

Mrs Bennet was too busy with the wedding to complain that Darcy and Mr Bennet spent the wedding breakfast in Mr Bennet's darkened study. Lizzy was quite amused to find them sitting in opposite corners of the study reading books and looking equally imperturbable in their solitude when she took some food in to them. Evidently her husband was completely impervious to her father's attempts to freeze him out of countenance.

After Jane and Bingley took themselves off to Netherfield, Lizzy also repaired to the study with her copious notes on the alchemical texts she had been studying and queried her father extensively on the topic. The ice was broken and Mr Bennet even became quite animated when he discovered his son-in-law had begun performing some experiments to resolve some of Lizzy's questions. All was forgiven.

Outside the celebrations continued. The Darcys declined dinner, citing overindulgence at the feast. They set off for Netherfield shortly after sunset. The coachman set the master down at the crossroads so that he might stretch his legs and get some night air while Lizzy and Georgie proceeded onto Netherfield alone.

The presence of Georgie prevented Jane from confiding in her sister the following morning, but Lizzy was glad to see from Jane's blushes and smiles that everything seemed to have gone well.

Two days later the Darcys departed Hertfordshire for London for Georgie's shopping spree.

Mrs Bennet was at first perturbed to hear The Bingleys intended to forgo Netherfield for an estate in Hemel Hampstead. She became reconciled to the move upon discovering it was a far grander residence.

Nonetheless, all was not perfect for the Bennets that year, for Miss Lydia became ill and the manor house was quarantined. Whether she had the smallpox or typhoid was never quite established, but the disease seemed to run it course through the family and the household servants. The quarantine sign stared balefully from the closed gates for a good six months—so long, that the villagers and the tenants began to wonder if any of the inhabitants would survive.

The apothecary, Mr Jones, was initially very put out when a London physician was consulted. It seemed they were getting very grand now that their two eldest had married well. But when he became aware of the seriousness of the disease, he was quite philosophical about the situation. The Bennets had been very good customers and would no doubt be again—if any of them survived. His bruised feelings were recovered remarkably when a order for some powders arrived by proxy, which he delivered to the gate.

One who seemed to escape the scourge was Mrs Bennet, who waddled out to the front gate occasionally to receive deliveries.

Although the smallest Gardiner had noticed that Lydia was getting fat, the villagers were more preoccupied with the astonishing change in girth of Mrs Bennet after the wedding. Eventually someone was bold enough to ask her if she was expecting. Fanny smiled, clutched her stomach and replied that, yes, the Lord had seen fit to bless her with another child. The villagers shook their heads and predicted all sorts of ill-omens for both the mother and the babe in the light of Longbourn's affliction.

Finally, just before Christmas, after the London physician was summoned once more, Mr Hill took down the quarantine sign. It appeared that the Bennets and all their servants had survived.

The Lucases thought it best to not visit immediately, lest there be any lingering chance of infection, but they could not resist driving past Longbourn to check if the rumour that the sign had come down was true. Accordingly, a family who they occasionally visited beyond Longbourn was remembered and their coachman instructed to drive slowly past the manor house so that their rattling carriage might not disturb the tranquillity of the afflicted residents.

The Lucases were a little chagrined to be caught out in their snooping when they happened upon a very rotund Mrs Bennet talking to her sister Mrs Philips and the rector's wife at Longbourn's gate.

Sir William pulled the checkstring to instruct the coachman to come to a complete halt.

"Mrs Bennet!" he said, leaning out of the carriage. "How good to see you out and about! We would stop but we are on our way to Mrs Halcombe. I hope you and the family are well?"

"Oh, yes, Sir William," replied Fanny, adopting her best melodramatic tone. "Sadly pulled*, especially Lydia, who was the last afflicted, but she is on the road to recovery. Would you care to come in? Lydia is not downstairs yet but the doctor has assured us there is no longer a chance of infection."

"I'm afraid Mrs Halcombe is expecting us," said Sir William with a stutter. "And I am sure we have no wish to tire you or disturb Mr Bennet."

Lady Lucas hastily nodded her agreement.

"Thank you for your consideration, Sir William," said Fanny with an unusual twinkle in her eye. "My time is so close, I can hardly waddle about, but it is a great comfort to have my sister able to visit again."

The Lucases breathed a collective sigh of relief that they were not to be exposed by being drawn inside.

"Well!" said Lady Lucas once they were safely on the road again. "Who would have thought at her age that she would have brought it to term!"

"Fanny is only forty, my dear," replied Sir William. "I wish her all the best, but there is still the difficult matter of the birth, which at such an age is especially dangerous to both mother and child. Besides, after five daughters, what else is likely but another?"

A few days later Mrs Bennet gave birth to a strapping boy.

Finis

Footnotes

*ormolu clock—a gold-coloured alloy of copper, zinc, and tin used in decoration and making ornaments. This process involved mercury and has been supplanted by electroplating.

*spencer—the high-waisted bolero jackets fashionable at the time

*aunt—Lizzy and Lydia are actually cousins to the Gardiner children. 'Aunt' is used here as an honorific because of the age difference.

*checkstring—a cord used by a passenger in a carriage to signal to the driver to slow down or go faster