A Most Comfortable Pillow

Elizabeth finds herself a pillow that she is reluctant to part with.

Elizabeth was not having a good night so far at the Netherfield ball. Being forced to dance the first with her cousin had left her with a headache from his incessant chatter, and anxious for her injured feet. When the dance finally ended, Elizabeth's feet were aching and bruised, so she quickly left Mr Collins with Charlotte and retreated. She quietly limped her way to a quieter section of the house that she had found during her stay, when Jane was ill, thinking to rest her feet for a little while. Overly frustrated with her younger sisters' silliness and her mother's encouragement of them, she hurried away as discreetly as possible. She entered a quiet sitting room next to the library, with her eyes partially closed in frustration, rubbing her temples where she could feel a headache coming on from listening to Mr Collins' droning.

With a sigh of relief she flopped down onto the couch, stretching out along the length of it. She just had time to register that the comfortable pillow her head was on, was unusually warm and smelt particularly nice, before a voice spoke, shocking her. "Are you all right Miss Elizabeth?" She stared up in shock, realising that her nice pillow was, in fact, Mr Darcy's thigh. Her mouth opened, but all words deserted her. What surprised her more was the look of gentle concern in his eyes. It did not fit with her opinion of him as a proud, disagreeable man, and she began to think that maybe her opinion of him was not so accurate after all. She would have supposed him to be furious and throw her off him, but instead he seemed to be genuinely concerned.

Darcy was also rather surprised that the opportunity that had fallen, albeit unknowingly, into his lap. He had not been able to bear watching Elizabeth dance with the absurd Mr Collins, when he so much wished he had been able to claim her, so he had retreated to the quietest sitting room. The last thing he had expected was for Elizabeth to walk in and unknowingly use his lap for a pillow. From her shocked expression, she had not expected to encounter him in such an awkward situation either. His body quickly registered the fact that the very woman he had not stopped thinking about since first beholding her beautiful eyes, was in his lap.

Elizabeth, finally registering that she still had her head most inappropriately, though comfortably, in his lap, rose suddenly. In her haste, one of her hands pressed down on his hardening member. He stifled a groan and her eyes widened. Being a naturally curious young lady, and having seen farm animals mating, as well as finding forbidden books to read on the delights of human mating, she was well aware of what she was touching. She snatched her hand away, blushing furiously as she moved to the other end of the couch. She was at a loss for words. Not only had she felt evidence that Mr Darcy did not find her unpleasant to look at, but the concern that filled his eyes and voice was quite at odds with her previous thoughts of him.

"I am sorry Mr Darcy, I should have noticed you there but I'm afraid after my dances I was not feeling terribly well," she rushed to explain, her mind a jumble of thoughts at their odd encounter.

"Please do not worry," he assured her, smiling and temporarily setting aside his own unease in an effort to console her. She looked quite disturbed by this turn of events. "I hope this has not made you feel worse?" he enquired softly, and she was once again struck by his caring demeanour. She began to wonder whether her impressions of him had not been clouded by his first insult to her vanity. Surely a man that looked at her so kindly could not be the same villain of Wickham's stories.

"No, I believe I am almost recovered," she assured him, noticing how handsome he looked as he allowed a small smile of relief to flash over his features. Bolstering her courage, for her curiosity had always been rather insatiable; she decided that now was the perfect opportunity to learn his side of the story. Perhaps Jane was right, and Mr Wickham had not told the whole tale. She wondered a little at her hope that Mr Darcy was not what Wickham painted him to be. "While we are alone Mr Darcy, I must warn you that a Mr Wickham has been telling a tale that paints you in a very bad light. I was hoping you might be able to refute his claims?" she asked nervously, biting her lip as she raised her eyes to take note of his reaction.

Darcy was hardly surprised by the knowledge that Wickham was up to no good again. He had been willing to let Wickham go on his way without question this time, when he heard that he was joining the military, in the hopes that he was turning a new leaf and that the discipline would do him good. Apparently that had been a vain hope. He sighed sadly, a hint of anger that Wickham was still trying to hurt him, crossing his features. "I can guess his tale of woe, as he has tried to spread it once before. No doubt he has accused me of withholding a valuable living and leaving him to a life of relative poverty though he was a favourite of my father?" he asked. She nodded, lowering her eyes as she realised from his tone that he had an entirely different view of events. Slowly, he began to relate to her the whole tale of his past with Wickham. Her eyes widened as she learned of the three thousand pounds he had paid in lieu of the living, before lowering again in shame at having believe Wickham's charming tale. She could not believe how blind she had been. As he continued, and she saw the pain on his face while he related events concerning his own young sister, she ran through their previous encounters, and came to the realisation that he had not been looking to find fault after all. With her new understanding, she realised that he had been genuinely interested in her opinions when he eavesdropped on her conversations and provoked her into debates, and that, well, if she was honest, she had been fighting an attraction to him from the very start. She felt terrible for having misjudged him so.

"I am so sorry for having, even for a moment, believed Wickham's lies. While there was some truth to his story, I should have known not to trust a stranger that would tell such a story to new acquaintances," she chastised herself.

Gently he took her hand, waiting until she raised her eyes to his. "Do not worry Miss Elizabeth. My own father was taken in by him, as have many others. You could not have known what he is," he assured her. His care and concern warmed her, and she smiled a little at him. "I had hoped that being in the militia would provide him with the opportunity to change, but it appears he is as he ever wars," Darcy sighed in disappointment. "I will have to visit the merchants in Meryton and warn them not to extend credit."

Elizabeth smiled as his words confirmed her growing certainty that Mr Darcy was a good man. "Thank you Mr Darcy. Though you have my assurances of my secrecy involving your sister, I will talk to my father so that he may warn my sisters of Mr Wickham's disreputable ways, for they were quite forward with him." She blushed with mortification at the shame her family often thoughtlessly caused her.

"Thank you for your discretion regarding my sister," his look showed his gratefulness and he was yet to let go of her hand, which Elizabeth found both disconcerting and comforting at the same time. That attraction she had been trying to ignore had burst free, and she was left with warmth flooding her hand and suffusing through her body from his mere touch and dark eyes.

It suddenly occurred to Darcy that he now had the perfect excuse to marry her. His objections to the match had never been the lady herself, but her family, and with her so close he was now wondering whether that was such a valid objection after all. He knew he would never find her equal, and the startling revelation that this was no mere infatuation – he was, in fact, in love with her – suddenly dawned on him. He quickly came to the decision that he could tolerate her family for her sake, perhaps even exert himself to get to know them a little better. After all, Permberley was quite a distance from Longbourn, so if he could convince her to marry him, they wouldn't be in the company of her family all the time. She also knew the truth about Georgiana, and was understanding and sympathetic. She would be the perfect sister for Georgie. It then occurred to him that he had no idea how to go about winning her favour and her hand. He wasn't sure that this encounter would be enough of an excuse to propose and have her accept, especially without any witnesses. However, he was willing to try. Exerting himself, and employing his more playful side, he smiled, hoping she would see him for his true worth and that she would not find him wanting. "I believe Miss Elizabeth that we should marry." Her mouth opened in surprise as she searched his face for any signs that he was not serious, but his dark, and rather compelling, eyes told her he was not.

"Excuse me sir? Surely, as we are the only two people that know what has occurred, I need not make any claims upon your honour." She could barely believe that the man she had previously thought was so odious, was offering to marry her.

"On the contrary, I believe it is you that compromised me, and therefore it is your duty to offer for my hand is it not?" He allowed a small smile to break out on his face, eyes sparkling with humour and a little trepidation.

She could not help admiring this more playful side of Mr Darcy, and wondering why she had not seen it before. She considered his words seriously for a moment. He was handsome, and kind, gentlemanly with manners, and infinitely preferable to Mr Collins, she decided, and yet, it was too soon after her opinions had changed to contemplate marriage. "I am sorry to have compromised you Mr Darcy," she began in a teasing tone. "However, I do not feel I know you well enough to contemplate marriage at this time." She saw his face fall slightly in disappointment and that sent a thrill through her at the assurance of his feelings. "I am prepared to make you an offer of courtship," she reassured him with a smile, "so that we may become better acquainted." The bright smile that suffused his countenance took her breath away. Their eyes locked and held, and in them she suddenly saw the depths of his soul. It was beautiful. In them she saw his hope for their future, and most of all, she saw love. It left her breathless. Warmth suffused through her.

Realising that if they continued on in this vein he would find it impossible to refrain from kissing her, Darcy lightened the subject. "Thank you Miss Elizabeth. I have no living parents, but I am of age and can make my own decisions, so you need not apply to my father for permission, I happily accept your offer of courtship."

His words brought a laugh from Elizabeth, the sound filling him with delight. "Very well sir, I hope you shall find me suitably attentive. Shall I begin calling on you here at Netherfield, or would you prefer our meetings to occur at Longbourn where my sister and your friend, who appear quite enamoured with each other, can act as our distracted chaperones?"

Darcy was surprised by her admission that her sister was taken with Bingley, for Miss Bennet was so quiet that he had not noticed. Nevertheless, he was pleased for his friend, and made a note to tell Bingley of his good information later. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I would be happy to travel to Longbourn, where I will allow you to court me properly. Please be aware though Miss Elizabeth, that I shall not allow any liberties towards my person to take place until an offer of marriage is forthcoming," he tried to affect a stern demeanour that crumbled when she laughed, finding his impersonation of a young lady amusing. "That of course means that my lap shall not be utilised as your pillow," he teased her gently.

She sighed dramatically, "What a pity, for it was a most comfortable pillow. I suppose though, that I can bear the loss for a little while, if you should promise that I may take full possession once a proposal is tendered," her eyes were bright as she teased him, but there was a hint of seriousness behind them that let him know that she understood he was in earnest about the idea of a future marriage between them.

"Of course," he assured her, his voice becoming a little too husky.

Elizabeth realised that they had both been away from the ball for too long, and that their conversation was once again entering dangerous waters. "I suppose we should be re-joining the ball," she commented reluctantly. She was enjoying being alone with Darcy far more than she should.

"Yes," he agreed. "May I hope that you will save me the supper dance?" he asked hopefully, "and perhaps a second as well?"

She smiled shyly, quite delighted with his questions. "You may." He gently lifted her hand to his lips, kissing it softly before allowing her to pull away and steal softly out of the room.

Elizabeth re-entered the ballroom just as the flush faded from her face. Only Jane and Charlotte had noticed her absence, and when she explained that she had been resting her feet after her ordeal of dancing with Mr Collins, they accepted her answer without suspicion. She had forgotten all about her feet once she discovered her new favourite pillow, but she now found that her feet had indeed recovered well. Darcy also stole into the ballroom a few moments later, but as no one but Miss Bingley had noticed his absence, and she had thought nothing of it since he was generally so reticent, it went unnoticed.

What did not go unnoticed was Darcy's dance with Elizabeth. Darcy immediately approached to ask for her next dance, and Elizabeth blushingly accepted. Jane and Bingley watched in confusion. Jane could not understand why her sister, who had often professed such a violent dislike for Mr Darcy, now looked so pleased to dance with him. Bingley was also surprised that the lady his friend had professed was not handsome enough to tempt him, was now his preferred partner for the evening – a partner he seemed eager to please, and Darcy was never eager to please anyone other than his sister.

Elizabeth and Darcy's dance was intense for both of them. Their eyes remained locked most of the time, smiles threatening to escape on both their faces as they enjoyed their dance and the emotions it evoked within them. For Elizabeth the feelings were a little newer, although she grudgingly admitted that she had felt the beginnings of such feelings upon their first meeting - a fact she had denied until now. Darcy had recognised that he was very attracted to her looks, mind and vibrant nature, but it was not until their encounter just moments beforehand that he had realised his feelings had developed into love. Now his course was set he revelled in his feelings, although to outsiders he simply looked a little less stern than usual. Only Elizabeth could see how his eyes sparkled with delight and love at her and she basked in it.

Caroline seethed from the sidelines, and the rest of the participants watched mainly with surprise and confusion, wondering at Mr Darcy deigning to dance with one of their own. Mrs Bennet was thrilled. She might finally be rid of her most troublesome child, and to such a rich man! While she was puzzled over Darcy's taste – surely her dear Lydia would have been a better choice – she was determined to promote the match. Mr Collins was no longer a factor in her mind; he would do just as well with one of the other girls.

Elizabeth and Darcy parted reluctantly at the end of the night, having shared two delightful dances, and spent much of the night together soliciting the other's opinions. No one failed to notice their attraction. Even Mr Collins saw that his patroness' nephew was taken with his cousin, and he was not fool enough to stand in the great man's way. No, his time would be far better spent consoling Lady Catherine DeBourgh when she heard the news that her nephew had no intentions to marry her daughter. As far as a wife went, well he had spent much of the night in conversation with Miss Lucas, and had found her to be of very good sense. He made up his mind to visit her on the morrow.

And so, nobody was terrible surprised when Darcy and Bingley appeared early at Longbourn the very morning after the ball. Neither could sleep in with their loves only a few miles away. They spent a lovely morning out in the countryside with the two eldest Bennet sisters, and returned in time to hear Mr Collin's announce his engagement to Miss Lucas. He soon left for his parish again, and Darcy and Bingley visited Longbourn as often as possible, despite Miss Bingley's anger at their intentions.

In the coming weeks Elizabeth set about courting Mr Darcy when he and Bingley ventured to Longbourn almost every day. Darcy found her attentions far more gratifying than Miss Bingley's had ever been, and was very encouraging, eager to make her fall as deeply in love with him as he was with her. They would take walks in the countryside, separating from the other pair and getting to know everything they could about each other. The more Elizabeth discovered, the more she liked Darcy, until one evening, as she thought back over a lovely afternoon spent on Darcy's arm, she realised that she had fallen in love with him. Once she came to that realisation, and having seen in his looks and manner that he was also in love with her, she decided that it was time to propose. She wondered for a second whether she should wait for him to tender a proposal to her, as was traditional, but then remembered their discussion in the sitting room at Netherfield. She fell asleep with a smile on her face as she planned out her proposal.

The next morning, Mrs Bennet watched gleefully out the window as her two oldest daughters walked off with Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy. While official courtships had not been announced, it had been obvious from the looks and smiles shared between the two couples that courtships were taking place. Mrs Bennet was happy to let them walk out together and further their acquaintances while she quietly started making wedding plans.

Elizabeth and Darcy broke away from Bingley and Jane once they were out of sight of Longbourn, heading for Oakham mount. As they sat down at the crest of Oakham mount, Elizabeth turned to him. "Mr Darcy, in the weeks of our courtship I have come to know you as a most wonderful, kind, generous and honourable man whom I dearly love. Will you do me the honour of becoming my husband?" she looked at him hopefully and a look of heartfelt delight spread over his face.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "Oh my dearest, most beloved Elizabeth, I have long loved you and dreamed of our life together. Nothing would make me happier than being married to you," he assured her. This time he did not even bother to try subduing his impulse to kiss her, instead, he leant down and captured her lips with his own. She kissed him back with abandon, losing herself in the blissful feeling of being in loved and having that love returned.

They eventually parted, breathless and exhilarated from the kiss. An impish look crossed Elizabeth's face. "Now sir," she began playfully. "I believe you promised that, once I had proposed I would be allowed some liberties with you," she reminded him.

He laughed in delight. "Have I not already happily accepted your kisses?"

"Of course, however, I believe I should like to claim your lap for a pillow once again. I found it to be most comfortable," she admitted with a smile.

Darcy could not be more delighted with his betrothed, and was happy to give her anything she wished. "Of course my love, whatever you please." She immediately lay down, her head resting in his lap as she looked up at him adoringly. She relaxed, the warmth of his body enveloping her in a secure, comforting feeling.

Looking up, she smiled as his dark eyes took in her form with the utmost reverence. "I am quite taken with the view," she whispered from her cosy position as his smile widened impossibly. His handsome features and loving gaze set her whole being ablaze with happiness and love.

Throughout the rest of their engagement, Elizabeth often found herself utilising his lap for a pillow while he played with her hair and they talked, usually about their hopes for the future. Elizabeth also discovered that Darcy's chest and shoulders also made very comfortable pillows.

The Bennet's were understandably excited at the news of their engagement, especially when Bingley proposed to Jane only two days later, after Darcy finally remembered to inform Bingley of his good information about Jane's feelings. Georgiana, who had been waiting anxiously for the news after her brother sent her letters about what was occurring, was also delighted with her new sister when her bother brought her to Netherfield to meet Elizabeth. They took to each other immediately, much to Darcy's joy.

After their marriage, Elizabeth found that there were even more delightful activities that could be done from Darcy's lap. He was more than happy to let her take full possession of him and do what she would. She also discovered that he was particularly warm - wonderful for snuggling with in winter. She was very possessive of her favourite pillow, and only their children were ever allowed the privilege of sharing it and, as promised, Darcy never restricted her access to her pillow.

What do you think? Wish you had a pillow like Elizabeth's?