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Just after nine in the morning, three riders handed their mounts to the grooms that met them in front of Longbourn.

Darcy felt his folly more and more as they rode the distance between the two estates.

From the point that they entered the main gates; it was over a mile to the manor house.

The house itself was elegant and large. He spied a large park that sported formal gardens which he was sure would be a riot of colours when spring arrived, if it were anything like the gardens his mother took particular care with.

Lord Hilldale knocked on the door which was opened by the butler.

He informed the man that he and his brother the Colonel had come to see the family while his cousin, Mr. Darcy, had come to see his Grace.

The normally unflappable Hill raised one eyebrow slightly as he heard the name of the third gentleman of whom there had been much talk among the family, none of it flattering.

He directed the Fitzwilliams to the relevant drawing room, then returned and took Darcy’s card while he requested that he wait in the entrance hall while he went to verify if his Grace was available.

As Darcy waited, he could not fail to notice the understated elegance.

Nothing was for show or to impress, this was a home to be lived in, not to display opulence and gaudy baubles like Rosings used to display until Anne was able to convince her mother to allow her to redecorate.

Mr. Hill returned and directed Darcy to the master’s study.

As he walked in, he noticed that the study was large and well- lit with natural light from the big windows that overlooked part of the park.

He was about to bow and greet the Duke when he noticed that they were not alone.

The Duchess and Lady Elizabeth were seated on a settee to the right of the desk, the latter looking none too happy to see him again.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

In the drawing room, after greeting and bowing to the two ladies, two girls, and two young men present, the Viscount took a seat next to his beloved while the Colonel headed directly to Lady Jane.

After he enquired after her health, he moved his head closer to hers, “Will you please take a turn in the park with me, Jane?” They had agreed to use familiar names some months back.

With a light blush, she replied in the affirmative.

She was about to ring for her companion when the younger twins volunteered to join them as their chaperones.

The Colonel waited for his lady and her sisters in the entrance hall where they joined him within five minutes.

They walked around a part of the park that was left to be as nature intended so it looked like a prettyish wilderness.

After they walked for a while, Richard asked if they could sit on one of the benches, to which Lady Jane Bennet readily acquiesced.

The younger twins sat on a bench that offered them a clear view of the courting couple but allowed them the privacy to talk without being overheard.

“Jane, I have a particular question that I would like to ask you.” She nodded as she blushed becomingly to indicate that he should continue.

“We have known each other for a number of years, and I have loved you for many of them, but I never thought that you would be interested in following the drum. Two years ago, I inherited Brookfield in Derbyshire and a substantial fortune with it. Depending on your answer to my question, I may be resigning from the army and selling my commission.” He got down on one knee and took her hands in his much larger ones.

“Lady Jane Ingrid Bennet, my one and only Jane, possessor of my heart, when I look ahead at life’s journey there is not a version that I can imagine where you are not next to me.

Not behind me, but next to me as an equal partner.

Until you accepted my request for a courtship, I was not sure that you had any tender regard for me so at your acceptance, my love for you grew even more.

Jane, I am a simple soldier not prone to long flowery speeches, so I will get right to the point.

I love you with all that I am and need you for all I hope to become.

Will you do me the ultimate honour of accepting my hand and consent to be my wife? ”

Lady Jane had tears of joy flowing down her cheeks, finally hearing the very proposal that she had dreamed of, yet better than any version she had imagined.

“Yes Richard, yes. I will marry you. How silly you were to think that you could not approach me sooner. I have been in love with you since you danced two sets with me at my coming out. Until you requested the courtship, I was afraid that you saw me only as a sister. You have made me the happiest of women and given me my heart’s desire: you as my husband until death do us part. ”

Richard Fitzwilliam, his heart singing, stood and pulled his betrothed up until their lips met with just a brush.

Jane sighed as she received her first kiss from a man not part of her immediate family.

On hearing the sigh, Richard kissed her with his lips fully on hers, and had they not heard the giggles and ‘ahems’ coming from Mary and Kitty, they may have enjoyed some fuller kisses.

The lady twins swarmed their oldest sister and soon to be brother.

“How fun,” Lady Catherine said with a giggle, “brothers marrying sisters. You should marry in a double ceremony!”

“That is a very good idea Kitty. Jane, Richard? You should talk to Andrew and Marie, and I am positive that neither Mama nor Papa would oppose you.” Mary offered; her clear thinking often helped others find easier solutions than they would have devised for themselves.

“Calm down you two. We promise we will talk to Marie and Andrew, and only if they agree will we all talk to Mama and Papa.” Jane laughed at the hope in her sisters faces knowing they wanted her happiness above all, and that Richard made her truly happy.

“I will go and ask his Grace for his consent and blessing as soon as he is available. I believe that my Cousin William is meeting with him now.”

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Darcy could not help but witness the frosty looks that Lady Elizabeth directed at him.

Her parents did not look openly hostile, but neither were their looks welcoming.

He bowed deeply to each, “Your Graces, Lady Elizabeth, I thank you for accepting this call from me. I am sure that I am the last person that you would be prevailed upon to socialise with today.” He was met by silence, but the Duke pointed to a chair in front of his large oak desk where Darcy would be able to see the three Bennets in the room.

“I am here to apologise unreservedly for my despicable behaviour, especially toward Lady Elizabeth, almost from the first moments I have been a guest of Mr. Bingley.”

Before any other could speak, Lady Elizabeth said with no small amount of asperity, “Once you found out who we are, of course you would apologise; you would be stupid not to. No matter your faults, you look like an intelligent man.”

The Duke gave his middle daughter a quelling look.

“Let us hear what the man has to say before we rush to judgement .” Lord Thomas Bennet emphasised the last knowing Elizabeth’s propensity to do just that.

It was lost on the lady that this trait was one she had in common with the hateful man.

Lady Sarah put a hand on her daughter’s arm to reinforce her husband’s expectation that their daughter allows Mr. Darcy to speak.

“Thank you, your Graces, Lady Elizabeth,” he inclined his head to each in turn.

“Last night, before Andrew and Richard returned to Netherfield with Bingley and wanted to do far worse to me than the Marquess did in wanting to call me out, I had a long time to think.

There is no excuse for my behaviour, regardless of your station or rank.

I acknowledge that my late father taught me better, and my dear mother, Lady Anne, will be seriously displeased with me when she hears of my behaviour.

And she will hear of it in detail from my own mouth.

“I do feel the need to tell you about a situation that was heavily weighing on me, has done so for the past three to four months. It is not to offer an excuse but am hoping to offer a better understanding of my mindset. Before I proceed, I need to ask your secrecy with regards to one part of the tale as if it became public, my fifteen-year-old sister would be harmed, and I would rather die than have her suffer any more.”

The Duke looked first at his wife, and they communicated silently as they were wont to do and then at his most volatile daughter.

Yes, she was quick to temper, but she was also fiercely protective of anyone weaker than her that was hurt.

“You have our word, on the honour of the entire Bennet family, please proceed Mr. Darcy.” Lady Elizabeth nodded for him to be assured his confidence would be kept safe.

“Before I tell you, since my honoured father passed…” Darcy shared his experiences in society, and the mechanisms that he used to protect himself, while not always appropriate, they were effective.

He explained how he had learned to adopt his mask of indifference that displayed the haughty taciturn man, and how the more he was hunted the more he withdrew within himself until he only listened to his own council, to his own detriment as had been on display the previous night.