Thank you dear commenters for the lovely comments. I'm glad you enjoy my tale and hope you'll enjoy the last chapter. This chapter is a little different from the rest, a little bit like an epilogue, but not quite.

ODC get their HEA and that's a good reason to celebrate.

The Door on the Wall

Part 5

"Insufferable man! Why must he speak to Mamma so coldly?"

"Vixen, you're forgetting we had to stop you for strangling her when she asked him how many chandeliers he had at Pemberley."

"I'm allowed to criticize Mamma as much as I want, Dixie. Mr. Darcy should treat her with respect."

**8**

"Looks like you need to eat your hat, Vixen dear. Did you notice how Mr. Darcy spoke with Mamma yesterday? Full ten minutes on lace, no less!"

"Well, I know not what happened to him, but I still maintain that he is insufferable. Why, he meets us three mornings in a row on our walk, and has yet to say anything but greetings and farewells. Isn't that right, Foxy?"

"Hey, I have no need to join your fascinating debate. I have work to do if I want to make sure we don't fall over a tree root."

"Yeah right. We all know you think he's handsome."

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

**8**

"Well, you got your wish, Vixen. Did he not talk about Pemberley?"

"I admit, we had a nice conversation. He's very knowledgeable and interesting. But why must he be so grave?"

"I rather like his brooding mien."

**8**

"Did you see that smile? Lord, the man has dimples! I nearly swooned!"

"Will you stop that, Ginger? You sound like Lydia."

"Don't listen to Vixen, Ginger, she's just bitter."

"That's untrue, I just think you all forgave him too quickly. I still have a hard time sketching his character. The way he treats Mr. Bottoms is appalling."

"Oh please, you can't stand Mr. Bottoms' simpering."

"I wish I knew what happened with Mr. Wickham, so I'd be able to judge better. Not knowing is killing me."

**8**

"Poor sweet Miss Darcy!"

"I can't argue with you today, Vixen. I think that's a first."

"Who that knows what her misfortunes have been, can help feeling her pain?"

"Think of Poor Mr. Darcy!"

"Mamma would argue that he is definitely not poor."

"Very bad timing, Foxy."

"Sorry, couldn't help myself."

"What must he went through when he saw the cur on the street that day?"

"Till this moment, I never knew myself."

"Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly."

"Well Vixen, I say, no more. We shall treat him with utmost respect to atone for our past sins."

"Or at least show some remorse. I think utmost respect is beyond our abilities."

**8**

The last two weeks have been the craziest Mr. Darcy have ever experienced. He awoke early every morning, entered the tunnel into Miss Elizabeth's brain and then went looking for her on his horse. He found out, interestingly, that the painted door looked a little different every morning. Sometimes the color red was dominant, sometimes blue was smeared thicker, it was an ever changing work in progress. But his fingerprints stayed impressed on the paint in the same position since his first visit. Another thing he found was that Miss Elizabeth did not like to keep to one destination, but varied in her hikes. He also discovered that she liked to mull things over in the early hours of the morning, and so the foxes were very talkative. It was rather useful in finding out where she was going to go to, and what bothered her. He took great pleasure in proving her wrong.

He counted another whelp, increasing the number of foxes to eight, and wondered at the significance of it. And he also noticed a change in the scent welcoming him to the tunnel, for some reason it started to resemble his cologne mixed with the old book smell that used to be more dominant. He found out that her backside was as perfect as her front. It was the only day he did not meet her on her walk, he was far too aroused to face her. He was gratified to find the next day that she had missed him. Unfortunately, it increased his other problem.

He took great pleasure in introducing her to Georgiana, and they took a liking to each other immediately, as he knew they would. And as they stood at the altar yesterday, he standing for his friend, and Miss Elizabeth for her sister, he wished ardently that it was them taking their vows. His gloom disappeared the moment he heard that Miss Elizabeth, now Miss Bennet, was to spend the next fortnight with her sister and new brother in Netherfield, helping her sister adjust to her new role as Mrs. Bingley.

There was no need to go to the monk today, he knew. Miss Bennet was here and all he needed was to be near the stairways when she walked down so he could escort her to wherever she wanted to go. Yet he still found himself on his way to the second floor corridor. Being inside her brain was addicting. It was on his third round of pacing that he noticed her skirt from the corner of his eye.

"Miss Bennet!"

"Mr. Darcy!"

For a long minute both stared at each other. Darcy's mind was blank and he frantically searched for an excuse to his appearance. Until Miss Bennet started laughing, a full, throaty and very arousing laugh.

"Oh dear, you've been using the door, haven't you?"

"I'm sorry," his face crimson, he tried to apologize. "I didn't mean to spy on you."

"I can't missish about it now, can I? I was going to do the exact same thing."

Her eyes twinkled, bewitching him even more, and he knew that it was his chance. For he realized that Miss Bennet not only knew of the door but indeed used it before, and for him no less! He took her hand in his and smiled, showing his dimples.

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

"That is most unfair, Sir, to use your smile at this time. For I have a feeling you know your dimple's prowess."

"You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings have changed, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes, I think you know rather well."

"You have overcome your reservations?"

"You know I have."

"In such cases as this, it is, I believe, the established mode to ask for the intended's hand in marriage, Sir."

Mr. Darcy smiled again and knelt on his knee, still holding her hand. "Will you marry me, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth?"

She laughed merrily and nodded and he was overcome with pleasure. Spontaneously, he stood and grabbed her by her waist, twirling her around in his happiness.

"But, you must tell me what you saw in that room."

He blushed, but said nothing.

"Surely Sir, it wasn't so bad."

"Fitzwilliam,"

"Fitzwilliam," she breathed and blushed in return when he lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered.

"It was absolute heaven and torture combined."

"Fitzwilliam," she huffed, in a most charming way, as she would say at least once a day for the rest of their life.

"I promise to tell you after we marry."

And he did.

**8**

A short explanation about their brains:

Every creature in the brain has his own areas of expertise. Like Hurst is a rather simple man, so he has less things to think about and less strawberries to work in his brain. Darcy has a lot of cats and dogs because he has many responsibilities. Up until now Elizabeth was never in love, so when Darcy found another little fox in her brain, it was because she was starting to love him. The way his scent took over her tunnel symbolize her attraction to him.