Chapter 55

Darcy arrived at Netherfield by the next afternoon. His horse was sweating and looked about ready to fall down from exhaustion. Darcy himself looked the worse for wear. Bingley was at the door when he entered the house.

"My God, man, what has happened?" Bingley cried, calling for a bath and some food.

"I cannot keep it inside." Darcy said between breaths. "I must tell someone. I love her...I love her..."

Bingley, not sure what his friend was talking about, waited until he had a bath and something to eat before questioning him further. Forty-five minutes later Darcy came down to meet Bingley in the sitting room. Bingley poured him a glass of brandy and waited for his friend to explain himself.

"It is killing me." Darcy said quietly. "I think about her all the time. I have dreams when I'm asleep and she haunts me everywhere I go."

"Elizabeth Bennet?" Bingley asked, causing Darcy to look up at him in surprise.

"How—how did--"

"When we were all together at Pemberly I saw the way you two interacted. And then the suggestion we come here to hunt. I supposed it wasn't entirely for my benefit."

Darcy smiled weakly. "Was it that obvious then? I wonder who else has guessed."

"I would wager all those who love you and know you well."

"What am I to do? I do not think she loves me...she made her opinion of me so plainly."

"There is only one way to find out."

Darcy thought about this a moment. He knew he must ask her, and he would. But how? And when? And where? He had tried numerous times to be with her in private so that he might express his feelings, and he told Bingley so.

"I am to see Jane tomorrow, I shall suggest--"

"Jane! Are you two..." Darcy interrupted. Bingley smiled and nodded his head. "Congratulations! I am glad to see one misunderstanding cleared and made right."

"Thank you. Now, tomorrow I shall suggest to Jane that we go walking and you must ask if Elizabeth would like to join you walking. I will hasten my pace and Jane shall follow me and soon we will be out of earshot and you can have all the time to explain things to her."

With this plan laid out Darcy went to sleep a little less stressed, but Elizabeth's face loomed over him, smiling and smelling of sweet roses in bloom.

Chapter 56

Darcy's heart was beating so loudly he felt all the women in the room must hear it, especially Elizabeth. He and Bingley had come as planned to the Bennet's and were now in the sitting room with the women, Mrs. Bennet prattling away as usual. When Bingley suggested that he and Jane walk down the lane, Darcy asked if Elizabeth might join him as well.

"I should like to come." Kitty said, standing. "I have to call on on Maria Lucas and it is on the way."

"Why don't you go as well, Mary, the fresh air would do you some good." Mrs. Bennet said.

"No, Mama, I must finish my reading." And before Mrs. Bennet could complain Mary took her book and left the room.

The party of five walked down the lane. Bingley looked back at his friend once, then let Jane take his arm and he began to quicken his pace. Soon they were so far in the distance it practically left Darcy, Elizabeth and Kitty alone. All this time Darcy had been planning what to say to Elizabeth. He was so engrossed in his own thoughts he had no idea that Kitty had left them until Elizabeth spoke.

"Mr. Darcy," She said, causing him to break his train of thought. "I am a very selfish creature and I must speak upon a subject I know you would not wish me to."

Darcy's eyes widened. He could never tell with Elizabeth what she was about to say. Would her next words bring comfort and happiness or sorrow? He waited impatiently.

"I must thank you for the kindness you have done my youngest sister. Ever since learning of your part in her marriage I had wanted to thank you, on behalf of my whole family who are still completely ignorant of the arrangement."

Darcy had not wanted Elizabeth to know. Might this affect her decision should he ask to marry her? "I had a feeling Mrs. Gardiner could not be prevailed upon to keep such a secret from you." Was what he said in return.

"Please," Elizabeth looked up at him, then quickly turned away. "Do not blame my Aunt entirely. It was Lydia who gave the secret away at first. My Aunt merely confirmed it. Let me thank you again for every member of my family. I cannot think of the trouble and trials you must have gone through to discover them in London."

"If you need thank me," Darcy started, drawing Elizabeth's eyes to look up at him, "Thank me for yourself. It was for you I acted, not any member of your family. My only thoughts were of you."

Silence. Elizabeth had looked away and he thought he saw a tear come to her eye, but he couldn't be sure. Giving her time to compose herself, Darcy waited before saying, "You are much too kind to trifle with me. Please, tell me if your feelings towards me are changed as of last April. For myself, mine have not changed."

"I think I can say in all honesty that my feelings have undergone such a dramatic change in the course of so few months... I cannot begin to explain--"

Darcy gently placed his thumb and forefinger to her chin and drew her eyes once more to his. He smiled, and with his handkerchief wiped at the tear that had trailed down her cheek. "I love you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet." He said, then slowly he knelt down and kissed her, feeling as if a fire had suddenly scourged around them and inside them. When the kiss was finished, they walked on, arm in arm.

They had talked as they made that long stroll through the lanes surrounding Longbourne. Darcy explained his Aunt's madness after returning from visiting Longbourne. They laughed at the folly, then spoke of the many misunderstandings.

"You had not done anything in your manner to make me like you when we first met." Elizabeth laughed. "In fact, I had decided that first night to never dance with you should you ask for my hand."

Darcy's face blushed, "I was such a brute." He confessed. "I see now that my behavior was dishonorable. I am sorry...so sorry."

"Mr. Wickham's story of you didn't help things much either. I cannot believe he could tell such lies."

The talk of her visit to Rosings and that private interview came up.

"Did my letter change your mind about me instantly?"

"The letter explained many things and I still have it and often read it."

"Oh, I wish it could be burned. There were some uncharitable words in there."

"It may have started out that way but the ending was very charitable."

"If you had not come to Pemberly that day," Darcy started. "I was afraid you were lost to me forever."

"Oh, I expected all manners of being reproached by you for intruding on your home."

"What do you think of it?" Darcy asked, hoping she could see herself mistress there and learn to love it as much as he did.

"Pemberly seemed a heaven on earth." She smiled.

"I shall call on your Father tomorrow." Darcy said as they neared Longbourne.

Elizabeth smiled up at him and said her goodbyes in the doorway.

That evening when Darcy returned to Netherfield he was accosted by Bingley.

"I thought you had taken her to Gretna Green, or perhaps to the Continent, to hide her away until she agreed to marry."

Darcy laughed. "She did not need to be persuaded by me."

"We were so worried we had lost you." Bingley said.

"We just walked and lost track of the time. Oh," Darcy said as an afterthought on his way to dinner. "I cannot hunt tomorrow. I must speak with Mr. Bennet on a very important matter."

Bingley smiled, and followed him into the dining room.

Chapter 57

"Please, sit down." Mr. Bingley welcomed Darcy into his study and offered a worn, chipped chair for him to sit on. The room was covered in book shelves full of books, a couple of piles littered his desk along with an open ledger and ink well with a dozen quills everywhere. Darcy sat and waited for Mr. Bennet to sit as well.

"I have come to ask for the hand of your daughter." Darcy had no other way of knowing how to ask for ones daughter. He supposed speaking plainly ought to do it. Mr. Bennet sat in stunned silence.

"Which daughter?" He managed to ask, still trying gather his thoughts, causing Darcy to repress laughter. He had not thought about the reaction of others to his proposing to Elizabeth. He supposed he would have to deal with many more stunned silences in the future.

"Elizabeth, sir." Darcy smiled.

"Does Elizabeth know?" Mr. Bennet moved uncomfortably in his chair.

"Yes, she does, and she gave me permission to speak with you about it."

"Funny," Mr. Bennet said. "Not a word... No mention to me... I suppose I am obligated to give my consent. You are an upstanding gentleman... Are you sure Elizabeth knows?"

"Yes, Elizabeth knows."

Mr. Bennet gave him a penetrating stare as if trying to translate some foreign text.

"Very well, I must speak with her first. Will you please send her in?"

Darcy shook his hand and exited the room. He found Elizabeth in the sitting room drawing at the table. He walked over to her and bent down as if examining her work, and whispered in her ear, "Your Father desire to speak with you."

Silently she got up and walked away, leaving Darcy alone in the room with the Bennet women. Darcy soon excused himself, reflecting that Elizabeth might wish to make the announcement to her family alone. He went back to Netherfield and had never felt more at peace. He went to the writing desk and penned a letter to his sister expressing his happiness in his upcoming marriage and making arrangements for her to visit. After writing the letter Bingley came into the room after his morning hunt.

"Well," He asked.

"We are engaged. I just finished a letter to Georgianna. I do hope you can make room for her here so she can be apart of the wedding party."

"We shall have a double wedding then!" Bingley exclaimed and preparations began that instant.

The weeks that went by were long and arduous. The many invitations they received from neighboring families seeking to congratulate the new couples were innumerable. Bingley's family came as did Georgianna, Amy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Lady Catherine all but refused to accept the marriage. Darcy and Elizabeth were much too happy to notice Caroline's sulking and at the arrival of Charlotte and Mr. Collins Elizabeth was overjoyed.

The weddings took place in the church, in front of God and friends and family. Mr. Darcy gave his love and all that he had to the woman he loved. He could not believe he had finally married Elizabeth. She was his...or rather, he was hers, as she fondly put it.

"I cannot see how you fell in love with me, the horrid creature that I was. When did it first occur to you?" Elizabeth asked, the second night into the honeymoon.

They were both sitting on a love seat in their room, which looked out onto the moonlit grounds of Pemberly. Elizabeth's head rested upon Darcy's shoulder and they ate grapes from a bowl and champagne from two flutes.

"I cannot fix an exact time. I had not known I was falling in love until it was done." He said in reply.

"I believe you fell for me because I was so unlike every other lady you had met. Now tell me it is not true." Elizabeth laughed, popping a grape into her beloved's mouth.

"I fell in love with your liveliness."

"You were sick of them and when I came swanning in without regard to you, you were intrigued. I was a puzzle you wished to solve."

"Perhaps."

"Well, my dear Mr. Darcy, I am not solved yet. You shall have years and years to work on this jigsaw."

"That is what I was hoping for."

Darcy smiled down at his wife, Mrs. Darcy, and escorted her to the bed where he was free to indulge his senses and please her in the process.

The End.

(A/N: Wow, it's finally finished. I am happy that all of you have enjoyed it. I love to write and the encouragment I received from you guys was so much that I finished it. I am, however, planning on a sequel of sorts, so look for that in the future.

Oh, on another note, I've always wanted to try to co-write something, so if anyone out there would like to work on a story with me, please email me. I have a few ideas for Harry Potter fics and Pirates of the Carribean fics also.

That's it, love you all!!!)