Page 35

“Do not duck your head, Jenny. It is a fair question,” Elizabeth said gently, then stood still for a few seconds.

She finally looked around carefully at her friends. “William asked a week ago Sunday,” which resulted in gasps of surprise from everyone since everyone knew that was the very day of his apology in the church.

Elizabeth looked around again and thought carefully. “He allowed me the privilege of holding my answer so I could select the time and place. The time is now! The place is here! We are engaged,” she said with a smile that practically lit up the garden.

Everyone exploded in boisterous happiness with Fitzwilliam slapping Darcy on the back and giving Elizabeth a quick cousinly hug, and another for Lydia just for good measure.

Just in time, Colonel Forster exited the garden with a couple of men to investigate the (now long-ago) scream.

When he saw one of his officers lying on the ground, he demanded an explanation but relented when Fitzwilliam gave him the regular officer’s stare.

Fitzwilliam essentially issued orders to Forster, and the colonel was sanguine enough about arresting Wickham with a vague promise of an explanation on the morrow.

Elizabeth was still ensconced in Darcy’s arms, and she said emphatically, “The rest of you… go away. William and I are engaged. Lydia, it is imperative you remember you and the colonel were out in the garden as chaperones. That is our story, and you will stick to it.”

“Certainly, Lizzy,” she said, sounding slightly affronted.

Elizabeth relented slightly. “You understand Mama and your friends can never know what happened here until you are safely married. Your reputation is still at risk.”

“I am not a total nickninny,” she retorted, but with less fire than usual.

Elizabeth laughed. “Once again… Go away!”

In surprisingly short order, Wickham was dragged away with a laugh and the colonel escorted Lydia to a spot just short of the ballroom to await the couple.

Elizabeth reluctantly wiggled out of Darcy’s arms, only to turn around at once and merge back into them.

She thought that after such an ordeal they should have a great deal to say.

She reflected they would eventually; but for that night, she simply wrapped her arms around his head and dared him to kiss her.

He accepted the challenge, and their first kiss was nothing short of incandescent.

She felt it all the way from the tips of her hair to her toenails.

She had thought nothing could beat the intensity of the terror she felt with a knife at her throat, but the pleasure of that kiss far exceeded even that lofty goal.

It was, by far, the best moment of her life.

They continued exploring lips and tongues with a feeling of contentment that could never be described.

For the first time in a very long time, Elizabeth Bennet was happy, peaceful, and contented in the moment.

She finally released his neck, but only long enough to pull her arms down to wrap around his waist while his arms went around her so she could lay her head on his shoulder.

She whispered into his ear. “William, I had quite a surprising thought. Being held at knife point was terrifying beyond description, but can you guess the worst part of it?”

“I imagine you experienced ten times the terror I felt, where a tenth part would be sufficient to turn my hair grey. Tell me the worst?”

She sighed. “I worried I would not have the chance to tell you something important that I have been afraid to admit, even to myself. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

He squeezed her and kissed the side of her neck for some time, and finally said, “How did this come about in only… what… eleven days? It defies imagination.”

She laughed and playfully kissed his ear. “I suppose, like you, I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun. The only difference is you said it was so long ago you could not remember, while for me it has been barely a week, but quite a lot has happened.”

She sighed and snuggled closer. “I suppose there is something to be said for the pleasure of being loved so fiercely. You were caught out with ungentlemanly conduct, corrected it at the first opportunity, then did not beat around the bush. You presumptuously staked your claim with Mr Bingley and went after me with ruthless efficiency. It is a case of…” then she paused for some time, looking for the exact right phrase, finally whispering, “…virtuous presumption.”

With a laugh, she leaned back, boldly gave him another teeth-rattling kiss, then took his hand with a laugh. “We should go rescue the colonel from Lydia.”

Instead of the shivering and half-frozen sister they expected, they found her happily chattering away at the colonel wearing her cloak, which Elizabeth had to presume Jenny had a hand in.

She saw Jenny and Simon standing off to the side guarding Lydia’s reputation, and considering how well armed they were, she thought it safe enough.

Darcy pulled them aside. “I cannot thank you enough, but I shall make the attempt. With your permission, I suggest you will both be in the service of Mrs Darcy, and I would ask you to always keep your slings handy. Naturally, you will both have a reward, and when you marry, your own cottage and a good living.”

They bowed and curtsied, and with bright smiles, brother and sister went back to finish their evening’s duties.

The colonel asked, “By the way, who is Antonia?”

Lydia laughed. “She is from ‘The Monk.’ She screamed like mad when Ambrosio assaulted her. Lizzy was just telling me to scream. She knew full well I am capable.”

The colonel chuckled, then ushered everyone back into the manse.

~~~~~

A half-hour more saw the happy couple being toasted by the assemblage with backs slapped, drinks consumed, toasts made (most of which suffered from some slight slurring), Mrs Bennet beaming in pride (and surprisingly, mostly silent), and Mr Bennet looking on in amusement.

Every single person in the room, with the surprisingly notable exception of Mrs Bennet, loudly proclaimed some variation of ‘I knew how it would be. I always said it must be so…’ Naturally, everyone had jumped straight from an announced courtship to a presumption of marriage, which was not a bad bet when you got right down to it.

Mrs Bennet for her part, simply gave her now-favourite daughter the first embrace in quite some time and even managed a kiss on the cheek from her soon-to-be-son.

She felt no great need to crow when the rest of the assemblage was doing such an excellent job of it on her behalf (and it was not as if she could not start on the morrow).

The Longbourn party were the last of all the company to depart, and, by a manoeuvre of Mrs Bennet, had to wait for their carriage a quarter of an hour after everybody else was gone.

For her part, the matron was perfectly ready to get to her bed but suspected she did not have the wherewithal to separate her daughter from her beau.

Everyone remaining, apart from Jane and Mr Bingley, were having a marvellous time anyway, so truly, what was the hurry?

They finally left in good order. Jane was full of questions, and dawn was well breaking before the sisters finally lay their heads down for some well-deserved rest.