The entryway of the large home was dark. The bitter night air was shut out as Darcy closed the door behind Elizabeth. He stood by the door and watched as she took small steps into the home. As she walked down the hallway, the room to her right seemed to be a spacious room with a desk and books, perhaps a small library of some sort. The room that was in front of her had soft glow coming from the doorway and the crackling of a fire could be heard. She pushed the door ajar and walked in as she inhaled with astonishment. The room was exquisite. Darcy followed behind her and his footsteps echoed on the wooden floors.

"This room is so detailed." She said as she took a walk around the room while running her hand along the wall.

She looked at the paintings of different parks and flowers that hung in the room and she noticed that the ceiling was just as detailed as the walls. Beautiful trim went around the top of the room and a stunning crystal chandelier hung in the center.

There were soft chairs and all the furniture had heavy detailed cloth covering them. She walked over to the chair that sat by the fire. The mantle was finely decorated and it looked to be handcrafted by the finest.

"Do sit, the chair is quite comfortable." Darcy said in a low tone.

"You have excellent taste in design and furniture Mr. Darcy." She said as she slowly sat down in the chair.

"Thank you, although I didn't have much say into what went into the home. I just hired one of the best to build it for me."

"You must be very pleased to live here."

He chuckled and even in the dim light of the room, Elizabeth caught his small smile.

He sat on the rug in front of the fireplace and looked up at her. She spoke before he could open his mouth again.

"I would love a home like this someday. It would be quite a handful to clean though." She said as she bit her lower lip.

"That's what the maids are for my dear." He said with a teasing tone.

"The life of a maid would be boring." Elizabeth said as she tilted her head to one side, thinking about the idea.

"Well I would say that you are lucky enough that you will never have to become one." He said as he turned his gaze away from her and watched the logs burn.

"And why is that Mr. Darcy?" She asked as she looked at him. His hair fell perfectly over his eyes as he turned to answer her, and his slight smirk made his lips and the temptation to kiss him almost unbearable.

"There are many reasons Elizabeth."

"Do tell, you have me at a high peek of curiosity." She said as she leaned back in the chair.

Darcy took a deep breath and sat up so his back was straight. He kept a calm and even tone and made eye contact with her every so often while speaking. It was almost as if he was intimidated by her very presence.

"Well for one, you are a lady and you have been raised with proper etiquette. Maids do not know manners."
"On the contrary," She said interrupting him, "the maids in our home are very polite."

"Let me restate what I mean then my dear. Maids have manners, but not the extent that you do. So you are too proper to be one in the first place. Second, maids do not have a high intelligence like yourself."

She opened her mouth to interrupt him, but he placed his hand in the air to silence her and continued speaking.

"Third, maids are not as beautiful as you. They are always frazzled looking, always in a state of a frantic mess. They do not have the elegance and the grace that you posses." He said as he gave a slight grin. She blushed as looked away from him for a few seconds, her cheeks burning from flattery rather than the fire.

"And last, you will be married to a man who has enough money so you can bask in luxury throughout your lifetime so you will not have to lift a finger so long as you shall live making it impossible for you to one day be a maid."

She smiled at him and then suddenly sat on the floor by him. He seemed stunned at her actions.

"A lady with proper etiquette would not sit on a floor like I am now therefor I cannot be a proper woman. I gather my intelligence from books, and I prefer the ones filled with nonsense, the ones that require a creative mind. The logical ones bore me to be honest. And I am not beautiful Mr. Darcy, instead you are too kind. And as far as a husband goes, the poor man will be putting up with an awful lot since I am so difficult. I'll be lucky to find a man who can tolerate such behaviour." She said with a smirk spread across her face.

She was challenging him and he knew it. He locked eyes with her and moved his face a little closer to hers and replied back in a whisper while his hand gently touched hers.

"Elizabeth, you are a woman with wisdom and you know proper etiquette but choose to defy it and stand out which makes you so unique. Your intelligence is unlike any other, you have both logic and emotion when it comes to your reasoning making your actions and words louder and clearer than any well trained scholar. And you are without a doubt the most beautiful human being I have ever laid my eyes on. I cannot express that enough. And as far as a husband goes, yes he will have to put up with your arguments, your stubborn thoughts, and your imagination, but he will also have a woman who is passionate about life and can be strong. A woman who will challenge him every day, and who is unlike any other creature to walk this planet. And he will be the luckiest man in the world."

He seemed to be nervous as he finished his speech. She noticed that he was shaking a bit and that he seemed to be holding his breath. She was about to ask if he was alright when she noticed that he was moving her hand.

He lifted it and then with his other hand, he held up a ring. The diamonds sparkled in the firelight and she felt her eyes widen. He took in a breath and then continued speaking.

"Elizabeth, I would be the luckiest man in the world if you agreed to let me be your husband. I wouldn't tolerate you, I would love you. I do love you. You make me speechless when you stand before me, and I cannot think of anyone else that I'd rather spend my life with. Elizabeth Bennett, will you please marry me?" he said.

His hand was shaking and he looked down at his lap for a few seconds and then back at her. Her mouth was slightly open as she looked at the ring. Her face was in complete shock as she then looked at him.

He waited for what seemed like forever for her reply, his heart was racing and his palms were sweating. Her face instantly lit up and her astounded face then smiled. Her eyes beamed as she nodded her head.

"Yes, yes I will." She said as she tried to suppress the laughter from joy. He slid the ring on her finger as she continued nodding her head and he kissed her. His hand gently wrapped around the back of her neck and tender lips locked onto hers. He could feel her smiling as she kissed back and he too couldn't help but let his emotions of excitement show through.

"Elizabeth Bennett, I will make you that happiest woman in the world. I swear to you that you will live the life of luxury and the life of pure and deserving love." He said as he smiled and let out a small laugh. She pulled him into another kiss as the fire continued to burn, casting a romantic feel to the room.