Page 14 of Darcy's Disguise (The Bennet and Darcy Chronicles #3)

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E lizabeth had beenexpectingthis moment. But that did not calm a single nerve as she waited outside her father’s study while Mr. Darcy spoke of marriage to her father. She knew her father well enough to imagine how the conversation was going.

"Mr. Darcy," Mr. Bennet began,leaning back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "I must say, this is quite the surprise."

Darcy inclined his head. "I imagine it is, sir."

"You wish to court my daughter," Mr. Bennet tapped his fingers against his desk.

"I do," Darcy repliedwithout hesitation.

Mr. Bennet exhaled. "I assume you are aware that my Lizzy is rather strong-willed."

Darcy’s lips twitched. "I would not love her if she were not."

Mr. Bennet raised a brow. "Love, is it?"

Darcy did notflinch. "Yes, sir. I love her. With everything that I am. I wish to ask for her hand, with your blessing."

The pause that followed was the longest of Darcy’s life. Mr. Bennet studied him carefully.

"You deceived her once," he said evenly.

Darcynodded, his jaw tightening."I did. And I will spend the rest of my life making it up to her."

Mr. Bennet was silent for a long moment. Then, at last,he sighed, shaking his head. "I cannot claim she has ever been so happy as she has been these past days. If you have done that, Mr. Darcy, then I can only conclude that you are worthy of her after all."

Darcy let out a slow breath. "Then I have your permission?"

Mr. Bennet smiled. "You are the kind of man I don’t dare deny anything, but I want you to know, you do. I think you are well suited and will truly be happy together. Though I daresay you already have her answer."

Darcy’s chest swelled.

At last, his future looked bright, indeed.

As he stepped out of the study, Mr. Bennet called him back. “Mr. Darcy?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The day I asked you to ride with my Lizzie, do you remember that day?”

“I do.”

“I suspected you were more than you let on. That day was a gift, time alone to tell her what she needed to know about you.”

“I fear I had many of those. I’m sorry sir.”

“See that you don’t miss opportune moments in the future.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bennet. I know I was selfish. I hope to never treat her in such a way again. She deserves so much more. I do think she suspected the whole time. It was difficult to reconcile the truth right before her eyes with what I was telling her. She chose to believe me.” He shook his head. “And I fear I have lost trust there. I will work to restore her assurance in me and my word. I love her. Deceiving you all is one of my biggest regrets.”

“I understand that. We all have regrets.”

Mr. Darcy stared at him, measuring his words. But since he didn’t offer more of an explanation, Darcy didn’t ask. He nodded and then went in search of Elizabeth who was standing right around the corner in the hall.

Elizabeth did not knowwhere they were going, only that Darcy had asked her to ride with him. The morning air wascrisp, the sky stretchingwide and blue above them, the soft golden fields rolling outfor miles. They rodewithout urgency, without conversation,simply existing together in a silence that was warm and full of meaning.

Darcy lookedcontent, and yet, distracted.

He slowed his horse.

Elizabeth followed suit, reining in her mare as they emerged into awide, open field. The sun touched everything around them. The air was crisp, but she was warm.

Darcy swung down from his horse, bootslanding softly on the grass.

There was something in hismovements, something in the way he turned toward her, something in the way the windruffled his dark curls, the way the sun framed him in light.

She had thought she couldn’t be more in love.

He reached up for her, his hands on her hips. "Come down, here." His voice was low and steady.

She slipped down in front of him, his hands still at her waist, her chest breathing against him. “Hello Mr. Darcy.”

“Hello Miss Elizabeth.” He pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head. “This is nice.”

She nodded against him, his heart pounding against her cheek. “Could we do this every day?”

“You will receive no complaints from me.”

For a moment, they stood there,alone in the middle of the endless field, the only sound the breeze whispering through the grass.

And then he took her hands, led her away from the horses. He pointed to the fields, circling, in every direction. “These are endless. These fields are all I see; They go on forever.”

She circled, taking them in. “It’s one thing I love about them.”

“I love it too, and I want you to remember this moment, here in a place that you love, with me. Because this is my love, Elizabeth.” He kissed her fingertips. “It is here stretched out in front of you, endless, forever.”

“What a beautiful thought.” Her eyes welled.

"Elizabeth," he murmured, his fingerstightening slightly around hers."I love you. I have loved you for longer than I ever admitted to myself."

“I love you too. I loved you as a tutor. I’ll love you forever no matter who you are.”

He took asteadying breath,as though grounding himself before continuing.

"You have made me a better man," he said. "You saw me, you saw who I was beneath the name. You made me feel worthy to be loved for me.”

Her tears spilled over. She let them fall, her happiness filling her.

He dropped to one knee. "And if you will have me, I vow to spend my life proving myself worthy of you. Every day. For as long as I live." Darcy looked up at her, his expressionsoft, earnest, full of quiet devotion. "Elizabeth Bennet," he murmured,his voice unsteady. "Will you be my wife?"

Elizabethlet out a shaky laugh, overwhelmed, light-headed,completely undone. "Yes," she whispered, the word spilling out before she could even think. Then—louder, stronger, full of every emotion she had tried to deny for weeks—"Yes, a thousand times yes!"

Darcylet out a breath of pure relief, pure happiness. And as herose to his feet, pulling her into his arms, Elizabethknew nothing had ever felt so right.

She laughed through her tears, her hands fisting inthe fabric of his coat, herheart soaring.

Darcycupped her face gently, reverently, as though she was themost precious thing he had ever held. "Thank you.” He whispered.

“Is it possible to be this happy?” She reached her hand up to the back of her neck and stood on tip toes.

He met her halfway, pulling her close as his lips pressed to hers. Her arms wrapped around him and the fierceness of her love, her tight hug, her sweet surrender, were his undoing. He would never ever be the same. This precious woman had just become the center of his life, and he would do everything he could to protect and love her until the day he died.