“This is what I like about you. You are impulsive.”
“And what I like about you is that you speak too much.”
He laughed again. “Not my hair or noble mien?”
“You are losing your hair, you are shorter than many men, and rather too muscular for fashion. I like you for your conversation.”
“That is enough to satisfy a simple soldier, who simply wishes to be liked.”
They began to stroll around again, wandering off on another circuit from the churchyard.
Caroline had to ask again, “You truly do not despise me?” She flushed and looked down. “I am full aware of my own deficiencies.”
“That is good, because I am only half aware of them, and I foresee from the experience of my friends who’ve entered the married state, that it shall take me at least three years before my knowledge of them matches and perhaps even surpasses your own.”
She giggled again. Every word from him somehow made her feel safer, but a scared little rabbit inside of her needed to softly ask again.
“I already told you that I did nothing particularly brave. Not with Lydia. I hadn’t pondered the danger for long enough that—”
“Worst thing about battle is that you have time to think. The only reason that anyone stays in the line is because they’re too embarrassed to let the others in line with them watch them run.”
“Itisn’tsomething that makes it better. I still tried to force Mr. Darcy to marry me! I still did something unacceptable, wrong, and worthy of revulsion.” She stood away from him wringing her hands. “You must understand that.”
He looked at her, and his eyes smiled. He put an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her into an embrace, and she willingly let him pull her towards him.
“Just so. Just so.Youunderstand that.”
“I still do things without thinking. The way I kissed you, or the way I told Wickham to take me instead of Lydia — it was the same sort of impulsiveness. I might make mistakes like—”
“You will not.”
“But—”
“It is not unknown for an officer or soldier to panic, become useless, run around without any sense in him the first time he smells the smoke of battle, and sees the blood splotch on the chest of the man next to him. Some of these officers are useless sorts, but some of them become the best soldiers. You may make mistakes in the future. It would be stupid for a man to only want to marry a woman whocouldn’t, because then he would have to marry someone already dead, and that would not bevalid.”
Caroline giggled.
“You must tell me the tale of how a marriage not beingvalidis such a matter of amusement.”
“It was what the parson that Wickham found said every time he tried to hurry him forward.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam chuckled. “You have the makings of a fine person. But as I said from the beginning, I like how you look, and I like how you think. I also think we will enjoy each other’s company. Beyond that, I have realized that I love you. And love is not a matter subject to reason. Simple soldier, madam. I leave these worries about everything else to delicate fellows of delicate sensibilities who'd wilt if taken from their hothouse.”
“Well then,” Caroline said smiling, glowing from within. “Then I will happily marry you.”
They kissed again, but they parted when they heard the footsteps of some, no doubt disapproving, pair coming close to them and stopping.
It was Elizabeth and Darcy.
Elizabeth’s smile was the very opposite of disapproving. “Caro! My dear, dear Caro! Might I be the first to offer you congratulations.”
The expression on Darcy’s face would have made a thundercloud appear friendly. But he nodded, stuck his hand out to Colonel Fitzwilliam’s, and shook it with a murmured congratulations. He then sighed, inclined his head to Caroline, and said in a dull tone, “Congratulations to you as well, Miss Bingley.”
Elizabeth elbowed Darcy. “He is extremely happy inside.”
“As his affianced bride, your knowledge of Mr. Darcy must be superior to my own, only being his cousin, who has known him closely these twenty-eight years.However—”
“No need to argue it over,” Darcy said. He sighed. “We are both delighted. And you may feel as free as you always have to visit me with your… bride. Elizabeth will not be merely ‘delighted’ but authentically and deeply happy when you do so.” Darcy shrugged, and then he smiled at Caroline with rather more sincerity than she thought he had ever looked at her. “I can admit when matters have passed outside of my control. Welcome to the family.”
