Page 100 of Shields and Roses

Kitty, wisely, chose a simple piece that she knew well. Her delivery was good, and she played with more feeling than Miss Bingley had. While her performance was not up to the same technical standard as Miss Bingley, it pleased her audience and counted as a success, which had clearly not been Miss Bingley's intent in putting her on the spot.

While Kitty played, Miss Bingley attempted to take her seat by Sir Phillip, but Jane had already slipped into the spot. With Lizzy on his other side, he was able to enjoy the performance in silence. When Kitty completed her turn, she and Jane quickly switched places, before Miss Bingley had a chance to protest. Jane played a sweet, simple accompaniment to a duet she sang with Lydia.

The rest of the evening passed with all the sisters conspiring to keep Miss Bingley from monopolizing Sir Phillip's attention. The men watched with amusement but made no comment and did nothing to interfere. The predator had been blocked for the time being and they all hoped Bingley would be able to ease her mind once he had a good discussion with his sister about her future prospects.

Chapter 48: Ask

Despite the late evening the night before, Darcy woke early with a tingly feeling of hopefulness in his chest. Like his friend Bingley, he had to find time for an important conversation during the day. He had tossed and turned, trying to find the right words, but he was no closer to a plan as the glow of dawn came in through the window.

Knowing an early start might give him his best chance, Darcy hurriedly dressed and prepared for the day. A swift peek out the window gave him cause to hope. He spotted Lizzy heading out to the bench in the garden with a full cup of coffee held in one hand. Going as silently as possible, he quickly made his way downstairs.

Bennet was not yet in the breakfast room and only one cup was gone from the sideboard. He took another and poured a cup from the still steaming pot and quickly made his way to the side door. As he stepped outside, he could see that even though Longbourn house lay in the shade of the ridge on the eastward side, the whole sky seemed filled with motes of golden light. Birds called to one another in the trees and hedges. Everything, it seemed, was waking to the new day.

He walked past arrangements of flowers in bloom until he reached the bench where Lizzy sat. She was nursing her coffee, leaning back with her eyes half-closed, but clearly enjoying the beautiful morning. On hearing him approach, she straightened in her seat, looking up and smiling.

"May I join you, Miss Elizabeth?" he asked.

"Please do," she said, sliding over on the bench to give him more room.

They sat together in silence for several minutes, enjoying their drinks and the beauty of the morning before Darcy decided to tackle his subject. He set his nearly empty cup down on the ground below the bench and turned to face Lizzy.

"Miss Elizabeth, as you know, I will be going to stay at Netherfield starting this evening if the Damasks arrive as scheduled today."

She put her cup down on the ground next to his and shifted so they were sitting nearly face to face on the bench. "Yes. I will be sorry to have you leave. Your company has been very pleasant these past few days."

Darcy tried to respond, but stumbled over his first words, "I wanted...I mean...I wondered...you know...oh," he stopped a few seconds in frustration and then his words tumbled out in a rush, "Miss Elizabeth, may I call on you?"

"Mr. Darcy, I expect you shall be here nearly every day with Mr. Bingley once Mary returns."

He shook his head. "No, I mean formally. May I call on you? If you are not ready for an official courtship, may I call in an unofficial one?"

This time, she was the one to look flustered and nervous. "Why...yes, Mr. Darcy. Yes, you may."

His smile lit up like the sun that was just topping the trees near the ridge. "And you will...I mean, will you tell me when I may ask for a formal courtship?"

She returned his smile just as brightly, "You may, Mr. Darcy."

"Now?" he asked, not quite believing what he had heard.

She nodded and said softly, "Now."

"Oh!" he said. "Thank you. I...well, perhaps I should actually ask." He took a deep breath, could not find the words, then took another before he succeeded. "Miss Elizabeth, will you enter into a formal courtship with me?"

"Yes," she said quietly, nodding and still smiling shyly.

He let out a deep breath and slumped against the back of the bench. "Do you have any idea how difficult that was?" he asked, almost to himself.

Lizzy giggled softly. "What happened to the strong, confident man who threw Mr. Wickham in the rose bush?" she asked.

"I have no idea," he replied, starting to laugh.

"Am I really that frightening?" she asked.

"It had nothing to do with you being frightening," he explained. "It was just that my entire future life was riding on your answers. And I have not even asked you the biggest question of all."

"Tell me what you see in the future," she requested.

He sat up and turned back to look at her. "I see mornings like this, waking up early at Pemberley and enjoying our coffee as we sit in the garden or on one of the balconies overlooking the grounds. Then we head inside for breakfast together before you go your way to meet with the housekeeper to manage the household or go visit the tenants or shop in Lambton with Georgiana and I head off to manage the estate. We would meet back up by teatime and perhaps play some chess or read in the library or just discuss the challenges of the day. In the evenings we might entertain the neighbors, go out to an assembly or just have a quiet dinner with my sister. Then, I think we would often sit on the balcony outside our chambers and watch the sun set before heading back in to spend the night happily together." He paused and then added, "Honestly, Miss Elizabeth, despite all the turmoil and troubles of the last few days, being here with you, living in the same house - well, it has been nothing short of perfect and I want that kind of feeling to carry through all our days."