“Like you want to be kissed.”
“But I do,” she said quietly.
Within moments, Catherine learned what she had wondered about for so long. His strong arms went around her waist, and his lips crashed into hers. For a brief moment, it was uncomfortable, as he was a bit too forceful, but his kiss quickly gentled into something that was delightful and ever-changing.
The sensation of their lips caressing each other awoke the rest of her body, and she felt a desperate need to be closer to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she pulled him towards her at the same time she felt his hold on her tightening.
She lost all sense of anything but him. Nothing else mattered. She no longer cared that she was soaking wet or that the rain had trapped them in a gazebo more than a quarter mile from the house.
Eventually, Stephen broke their kiss, but he did not break his hold on her. He looked down at her, his face a mixture of emotion. Her hands rested on his chest.
“Kitty, the last time you were in my arms, I asked you to think about your future. Have you thought about it? Do you know what you want?” He asked.
Catherine nodded. “There are two things I want, but I do not know if it is possible to have both. That is why I was out here walking so early this morning.”
“I want to maintain control of my inheritance,” she said. “I know my sisters are taken care of, but I do not know what the future may bring. I would simply feel more secure if I did not have to give it up.” She hesitated to continue, but if ever there was a time to express herself, it was at this moment. “The other thing I want is you.”
She couldn’t say anything else, because his lips once again found her own, and every thought flew right out of her head.
Eventually, they separated once again. Once his breathing was nearly normal, Stephen said, “So, if I agree to write it into our marriage articles that you have complete control over all the money you currently have, you will marry me?”
Catherine nodded.
Stephen picked her up and spun her around, letting out a cry of delight. Once she was on her feet again, he said, “I can’t believe that is what was holding you back. How could you even think that I would do anything else?”
“You always said how selfish you are, so I assumed you would wish to control my money,” Catherine answered.
“I am selfish, because I seek to obtain what I want, and I often don’t care a great deal about what others think about me. In this case however, what I want is for you to be my wife. I don’t care two figs about your money, and I never have.”
Catherine realized that he was correct. Even from the beginning, from the first moment he learned of her fortune, he had never cared about it. The only time they talked of it was when it came up in reference to her own desire to remain unmarried. Even then, he was interested in her desires, not her fortune.
“I was blind,” said Catherine. “I was so blind. I cannot apologize enough.”
“No apologies are necessary,” he said. “I would rather focus on how happy I am in this moment. Let me make absolutely certain. Kitty Bennet, will you marry me and make me the happiest man for the rest of my life?”
“Whether you are happy or not for your whole life, I cannot say,” said Catherine. “But I will certainly do my best to make you as happy as I can. I would be overjoyed to be your wife. And if that still isn’t clear enough, yes, I will marry you.”
She expected another kiss to celebrate their engagement. Instead, his face took on a gentle, affectionate expression. He lifted his hand to the wet curls that framed her face and simply played with them idly. “I love you, Kitty,” he said softly, almost absently.
“I love you, too, Stephen,” she said. “I have for a long time, though I refused to admit it.”
“Perhaps someday, we can compare our histories and discover who loved who first,” he said with a twinkle of humor in his eyes. “Right now, however, I believe we need to discuss the future,ourfuture.”
“You mean we need to talk about the wedding plans and things of that nature,” said Catherine.
“Yes,” he said. “First, when do you wish to get married?”
“This may seem rushed after I made you wait so long, but I would prefer to not go back home to Longbourn unmarried. I would like to get married here, at Pemberley. So many people I care for are here, and if I go back home first, it will be very inconvenient for you. I would not like to be separated from you again so soon after coming to an understanding with you.”
“I am afraid at least some separation cannot be avoided. I will have to travel to Longbourn to obtain permission from your father to marry you. Unless you turned twenty-one while I wasn’t looking.”
“I turned twenty just last month,” Catherine said. “So, I will need my father’s permission. You will also need to work out the marriage contract with him, since he controls my money.”
“Do you wish to be part of that discussion?” asked Stephen. “After all, you said that you wish to control your wealth, yourself.”
“It never even occurred to me,” said Catherine, “but you are correct. If I want to control it, I need to take responsibility. However, arranging for us to travel to Longbourn together feels like it would take too long. You can travel much faster without a delicate lady tagging along.”
“How about this?” said Stephen. “I will work out the contract with your father when I go to ask him for permission. I will bring a copy of it back when I return. Then, you can read it. If you agree, wonderful. We can get married as soon as a license can be arranged. If you disagree, I will take you back to Longbourn where we will all try again. It might be a good idea for you to write down for me what you wish to happen, so that we are more likely to be successful the first time.”
