“More than anything.” And it was true, so true. He longed to take her home with him that very night and never leave her side. “Do you not know that I have been fascinated with you almost since the beginning? I could barely take my eyes off you. I was glad to leave Netherfield with Bingley because I knew I could not resist you much longer, but you came to me in my dreams. I could not forget you, even for an hour. When I walked into that cottage at Netherfield, wondering who was performing the miracle of making my sister laugh, there you were. I knew then that I could never forget you.”
Her flush deepened. “Well, then.” Was the astonishingly articulate Elizabeth Bennet actually lost for words? “I had no idea. I knew only that you had not found me handsome enough to dance with at the assembly.”
How could he ever have thought such a thing? “I was in poor spirits that evening. Once I spoke with you, once you had crossed wits with me, I saw something very different.”
She laughed shakily. “I suppose, then... that does put a different light on it.”
“Will you, then, do me the great honor of becoming my wife?” He tried to put all his feeling into his voice. He, who had always thought any woman would be thrilled to receive his proposal, now knew differently. “Do you think you could learn to care for me, at least a little?”
She cast her eyes down, and his heart began to pound at the fear she might refuse him. But instead she said slowly, “A month ago I would have said it was impossible, when I thought you looked at me only to criticize and blamed you for separating Mr. Bingley from my sister. But over these twelve days of Christmas - and a few before - I have seen another gentleman than the one I thought I knew.” She took a deep breath. “My feelings now aredifferent, and I will be proud to accept your offer with the hope of a future of knowing you even better.”
There was nothing to be done for it. Without even thinking of what he was doing, he swept her into his arms again, drinking deep of her lips.
A child's voice interrupted them. “Oh, ick, Lizzy!”
Darcy jumped back. It was Charlie, the little boy he had carried earlier on his back, who apparently had a terrible sense of timing.
Now the child pushed between them and took Elizabeth by her hand. “Papa says it is time for you to return.”
Elizabeth gave a shaky laugh. “Let me guess. We were being too quiet.”
“Yes, that is what he said,” the boy agreed, with a complete lack of embarrassment. “Besides, it is time for the pudding, and you would not want to miss that.”
Elizabeth widened her eyes dramatically. “The pudding? Of course not. How could anything be as delicious as the pudding?” And then she gave Darcy a mischievous look that told him exactly what she thought was more delicious than any Twelfth Night dessert.
Epilogue
Finallythemomenthadarrived, the one Darcy had been longing for, when they left the church and he could help Elizabeth into his carriage –theircarriage! – and drive away with her as man and wife. No day in his life could ever be finer than this one.
But before he could even hold out his hand to his bride, Georgiana came running up to them and threw her arms around Elizabeth. “I am so happy you are my sister in truth now! This is the most perfect gift I have ever received.”
“I am glad, too. But none of us can be as pleased as my cousin Margaret, who simply cannot believe her good fortune that you are now part of her family,” Elizabeth teased. “Just think of all the trouble you can get into together!”
To Darcy’s delight, Georgiana laughed. His sister had turned a corner that day she had confronted Wickham in the shop.Her spirits were higher, and she was playing the piano at home again. Most astonishingly, she had agreed to come with him to Netherfield when he followed Elizabeth here, even though it meant being among society again. She had retreated to her room more than once when it became too much for her, but more often she had been in company. And she loved going to Longbourn to visit Elizabeth, even among her great crowd of boisterous sisters.
For his sister’s sake, Darcy was glad he had not given into his first impulse to insist on marrying Elizabeth immediately after that wondrous Twelfth Night when Elizabeth had consented to be his. He would have happily gone out the next morning to buy a license. To his dismay, the Gardiners had advised against it. Strongly.
Even more dismaying, he suspected they were right.
Mr. Gardiner had said, “I understand why you kept your second visit to Netherfield a secret. But I beg you to consider how this will look to Mr. Bennet when you ask his permission. As far as he knows, you left Netherfield with Mr. Bingley with no intention to return and Lizzy expressing no fondness for you. Then you suddenly appear six weeks later to ask for his daughter’s hand. He could draw some unfortunate conclusions from that.”
It would be completely unacceptable. “What would you suggest, then?”
“Lizzy could write home tomorrow with the news that she encountered you and your sister here in London and invited you both here for Twelfth Night. Next week, she can tell them about further encounters. My wife can mention being favorably impressed with you. When Lizzy returns to Longbourn in a fortnight, you can follow, paying her marked attention. Then a proposal will not seem so shocking.”
Mrs. Gardiner had added, “I must put in a word for Lizzy, too. Your affection for her, Mr. Darcy, appears to be of some standing, but from what I can tell, she only changed her mind about you a fortnight ago. I would urge you to give her time to know you better before you announce the engagement.”
Elizabeth said, “I assure you, Aunt, I am quite certain.”
“Then it will not harm you to wait a few weeks,” her uncle had replied. “Marriage is not to be entered into lightly.”
That quote from the wedding service itself could not be argued with.
Still, every day of these six weeks had seemed to last forever, except for the happy moments when he was in Elizabeth’s company. Those had fled past. But he was still glad they had waited,
because the Netherfield mistletoe had won yet another feather in its cap. Soon after Bingley had stolen a kiss from Jane Bennet under the sprig at Longbourn, she had made him the second happiest man in the world.
Darcy, of course, claimed the position of happiest.
