Chapter 11 Epilogue

Scottish blessing: With These Hands I Give You My Heart and Crown it With My Love.

The morning passed with the residents of Eilean Bennet Castle blissfully unawares. Sheepishly, they emerged from their chambers long after the sun had reached its highest in the sky.

It was the day after, in more ways than one. Many farewells were being had, some for a very long time, even years.

Two brides would learn that with husband's came responsibilities who would occupy much of their time. Leaving their childhood's home more of a distant memory than a part of their lives.

Mary would find kindred spirits in Edinburgh that her own family could not provide. She eventually married a professor in Divinity and Ecclesiastical History, Hugh Meiklejohn. Significantly older and probably wiser but a marriage of true minds it was.

Lydia found purpose under Lady MacBingley's strict tutelage. She loved to cook and both her husband's and her own waistline, suffered for it.

Campbell became a blacksmith. As it turned out, he had an eye for pretty ornaments and there turned out to be a market, even for that.

Their marriage worked out, kind of... Both loved Lydia's food and both loved Campbell's income. Otherwise, they found most of there pleasure apart and in the male part of the population...

Departure, when you know the separation will be of long duration, is difficult. When it meant parting with all five daughters at once, it was nigh on unbearable.

Lady MacBennet sobbed on the stairs of her castle while one daughter after another entered a carriage and drove off. A comforting arm lay on her shoulders, as much for solacing as for restraining the distraught lady.

A small consolation was held in an invitation to visit Pemberley for Christmas if the weather permitted.

Colonel Fitzwilliam travelled with the Darcys in their carriage, shifting between sitting within and riding Kelpie, her foal trotting behind. Kitty was seated with the MacBingleys. They ventured south together as two carriages were safer than one to discourage highwaymen from attacking.

The MacBingleys were to stay a couple of days at Pemberley to introduce it to Kitty. The colonel would switch conveyance and go to London with MacBingley.

Christmas of 1809 became a lively affair where the Darcys invited both families for the festive season.

It went much as one would expect, trying to emerge two families with so little in common.

Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam swore, afterwards, that the experience would never be repeated. Lady Catherine was never invited back to Pemberley neither was Campbell MacBingley...

Summer 1810

The sun had ducked behind the hill, making it bearable to take a stroll around the garden. Elizabeth had another location in mind when she left through the French doors with her husband.

Georgiana was playing the pianoforte in the music room, unfazed by the heat. Adding a soft tune to their stroll.

She had come home for good this time. Never really settling at the seminary she had attended. Too shy and reserved to make friends in such a large crowd of girls.

Darcy had suggested they set her up in London with a companion so that she could attend the masters in town but Elizabeth had ignored this notion. She had found a music master willing to come to Pemberley and ordered masters in various other topics to come to their house when they were in town. Which was what Darcy had preferred in the first place but had not wanted to impose upon his wife. He should have known that a lady with four sisters did not mind female company but he was new to being a husband and had much to learn about the female mind.

"Can we walk down to the river?"

"That depends, are contemplating taking a swim?"

"It is so unbearably hot, Fitzwilliam. I am practically boiling up. Soon I will be nothing but a puddle at your feet."

"Absolutely and irrevocably, out of the question," Darcy spoke with a firm voice with a finality that would have deterred Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"Please, just a stroll then. We might get a slight draft from the river, at the very least?" Elizabeth utilised her strongest weapon of persuasion, her eyes. Looking pleadingly at her overbearing husband who pretended to be unmoved.

"I do not trust you, Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth clutched her heart with both hands and gasped. "Ouch, that hurt. One would think after almost a year of marriage you would have gotten a little more faith in me..." Her voice trembled and her eyes watered.

Darcy enfolded her in his arms. "Please, Elizabeth, do not cry. I cannot bear it when you cry... Had I known you were such a watering pot I would..." Elizabeth stiffened in his arms and rudely interrupted him.

"You would have what? Not married me?"

Darcy stroked her back, solicitously. "No, I would have..." Again he was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.

"What? Put a muffle over my mouth and blindfolded my eyes, is that it?"

"No, will you let me finish my sentence? I cannot think when you are distraught, angry or near... I was trying to be funny, I think. You know, to lighten the mood."

"Fitzwilliam?"

"Mhm..."

"I am hot..."

"Oh, pardon me, madam..." Darcy let go of his fierce hold around his wife and they continued their stroll in a direction he was unaware. Occupied as he was with trying to remember what his punch line had been, it had quite escaped him.

"You should not try to be funny, Fitzwilliam. Look what trouble it landed you in, last year at the midsummer feast."

"I thought it worked out rather well, it got me a wife in the end."

"I would have married you that evening if you had not insulted me."

"I know you are just trying to distract me from the direction you are pulling me along in but you have wetted my curiosity. Explain yourself!"

"The first time I saw you was at the midsummer feast, roaming the outskirts of the dancers. Charles had just winked at you and you were wearing a soft smile on your lips. I was drawn to you like a moth to a flame. Tall, handsome and mysterious. I noticed which direction you took and purposely chose the other way around in hope of meeting you somewhere and I did I suppose. It did not unfold quite like I had imagined, as I walked towards you."

Darcy tightened his grip on her hand. "I wish I had known..." Floating images of wishes and what-ifs occupied his mind until they had reached the pool by the waterfall.

Elizabeth released his arm and sat down on a boulder, removing her slippers and stockings.

"It really is not safe, Elizabeth. The stones are slippery and you might take a fall and injure yourself. Even wading in the shallows can be treacherous."

Elizabeth paid him no mind and pulled off her light summer gown, leaving her in a gauzy shift that left little to the imagination.

Darcy growled and muttered under his breath as he flopped down on the boulder Elizabeth had just vacated and meticulously removed his shoes and stockings. When he looked up after folding his stockings neatly and putting them on top of his shoes, Elizabeth was waist-deep in the water with not a stitch on her body.

"Elizabeth! What if somebody comes along?"

"It did not deter you and your gentlemen friends last year..."

"You were there?"

"I was, on the top of the cliff right there. I believe it was the first time I saw your magnificent... bare... physic..."

Darcy groaned and lay his hands over his eyes. "I was not alone, did you see anyone else?"

"I had eyes only for you, darling. Come along, do not be shy. Shed those fashionable garments and join me. It is heavenly! Cold and refreshing, I am so glad we did this."

Darcy heard a splash of water and removed his hand from his eyes, ready to jump in the water, tailored suit or not.

Elizabeth was not in any form of jeopardy. Drifting on her back in the frisky water, her fiery red locks floating like a halo around her beautiful countenance.

"You look like a beaver, I mean otter or whale or something..."

"It better be something..."

"All I can see is your belly."

"Trying to be funny again, Mr Darcy?"

Elizabeth flipped in the water and swam with firm strokes towards him.

"Are you coming up? I can see those gorgeous eyes shooting daggers at me."

"Never! It is so lovely to float around, feeling light as a feather. You better lose the rags and join me lest some water creature attacks me while I swim. Although it might just be the baby kicking... Do you have Kelpies here?"

"Do not be ridiculous, Elizabeth. Kelpies do not exist," Darcy grumbled as his, coat, shirt and breaches followed his stockings and shoes.

Elizabeth swam to the shallow water, resting on a submerged rock as she ogled her husband undressing.

As soon as he had finished she turned to flee but Darcy had the long limbs and the agile body. He dived passed her and cut off her escape. His lengthy form abled him to stand where Elizabeth could not. He caught her to him and kissed her passionately.

"Yes, you are certainly lighter in the water... It feels so good to hold you in my arms, Lizzy."

"I love you when you carry me over mountains, through the woods and out of the water."

"I love you when you hold my hand through the soft dales and deep ravines with treacherous rivers to explore."

"I have wondered, William. How did you fall in love with me, how did it all begin?"

"The first moment we met when you turned those beautiful eyes at me, I fell like a ton of bricks..."

The End

Note: I have another story finished. HEA renamed: May The Rain Fall Softly On Your Fields are done with the first draft and first editing. My continuation of the 2005 movie, a mashup with several other of Jane Austen's works.

It was supposed to be a challenge to myself to write a sweet, romantic and chaste story which I have failed miserably on the last part. It is definitely the most graphic, explicit and detailed smut I have written so far... It is not too late to trim it out though so my question is: Chaste or M rated for my next fic?