Our betrothal was to be announced at the start of supper, but between our first kiss and supper, we by mutual wordless agreement came out from behind the pillar just to make sure the engagement period was measured in weeks instead of minutes or hours.

Fitzwilliam asked, "Elizabeth, I see Bingley and Miss Bennet. Can we tell them the news?"

"Of course!"

We were out from behind the pillar, grinning like fools, but even all the gossips in the room had kind of lost track of us, so we were in relative privacy. Fitzwilliam managed to get Mr. Bingley's attention, and he started over with Jane on his arm. They would have had to be simpletons indeed to miss our dance. Of course, a dance does not a betrothal make, so they were unaware of our current status.

As they walked toward us, Fitzwilliam turned to me and said, "Elizabeth, the wedding is the purview of the bride, but do you think you would be willing to cede me control over just one tiny little detail. I have one specific thing I would like to arrange at the wedding."

I laughed and told him he was welcome to work with my mother and control all the details of the wedding, and his look of horror was just priceless.

When Jane and Mr. Bingley approached, Fitzwilliam quickly spoke up.

"Miss Bennet, may I humbly request the brother's privilege of calling you Jane, as Elizabeth has very graciously agreed to become my wife."

Jane was completely overcome, and just nodded her assent then jumped over to hug me tight while Mr. Bingley slapped my future husband on the back hard enough to raise a bruise I would eventually have to kiss away. It was odd that we had managed to reduce both Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley to a state of complete silence, a feat I would have previously considered impossible.

Fitzwilliam was not quite finished though.

"My future bride has ceded me control of one small, tiny, insignificant detail of the wedding, but I will need your help. Are you amenable?"

Both just nodded again. They had gravitated back to each other, so the two couples were now facing each other, a couple feet apart.

Fitzwilliam continued, "Now, I believe both of you would be willing to act as witnesses, yes?"

Both nodded in happy agreement, their smiles matching ours.

Fitzwilliam continued, "We will be married on the 26th of December in…"

He looked at me questioningly, and I replied, "Longbourn Chapel."

He continued, "… yes, Longbourn Chapel. Now here is my request. Could we alter the traditional arrangement ever so slightly? Bingley, if you would stand about two paces to the left of the traditional position, and Jane, you stand one pace to the left, why we could have two weddings at the same time with hardly any more trouble and expense than one. What say you?"

Both their eyes got as round as saucers at the sheer, unadulterated insanity of the request.

Finally, they looked at each other, and Mr. Bingley simply raised one eyebrow in a questioning manner, and Jane simply smiled wide and nodded.

Just like that, Fitzwilliam and my brevity contest seemed ever so silly. We were so proud of our three words, but I had just seen my sister become betrothed and agree to a wedding date and ceremony with not a single word spoken.

That was going to be tough to beat.

~~ Finis ~~

Well, there you have it gang. Story 18. I did warn you it's fluffy, so I hope you enjoyed it. I always wondered if Darcy could have been 'captured' with a bit less violence if he reached the tipping point sooner, and let's face it… who doesn't want to see them together.

Wade