The road wound along the property, revealing breathtaking vistas of the countryside. The trees still clung doggedly to the last few golden and crimson leaves, providing a stark contrast against the grey sky. Miss Bennet sighed contentedly, drinking in the view. “How beautiful it is at this time of year,” she mused. “Though winter will be fully upon us soon enough.”
She loved every season. It would have felt rather spare and dull to Darcy were it not for her presence at his side. “Indeed,” he agreed. He adjusted the reins slightly, guiding the horses around a small bend. “I suspect it will be a cold one. We may even have occasion to use the sleigh at Pemberley this year.”
Miss Bennet's eyebrows rose in surprise, her curiosity instantly piqued. “A sleigh?” she asked, turning to face Darcy more fully. “Do you know, I have never seen one.”
“Nor have you seen Pemberley, though we have been courting several weeks. We must remedy that,” he declared. After a moment's hesitation, he added, his voice softening, “Perhaps I could invite your family to dinner? Georgiana and I would enjoy hosting you.”
“That is very kind of you.” A gentle smile graced her countenance. “We should be happy to accept. Only it should be soon, for the rest of my family will be arriving next week.”
Her entire family? “Excellent,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of an excitement he could not remember feeling since he was a boy. “You must all come.”
Darcy could see out of the corner of his eye that Miss Bennet was studying his profile. They were on a tricky curve, so he remained focused on the road ahead.
“All of us?” she asked at last, a note of warning in her voice. “I should warn you, Mr. Darcy, my family includes my Uncle and Aunt Gardiner and their four small children, who are often better behaved than my youngest two sisters. We are quite a boisterous group.”
“Even better,” he said, his voice warm and sincere. “It would be nice to have the house filled again. Pemberley has been quiet for too long.”
“You are a brave man, Mr. Darcy,” she said, “to welcome such chaos into your home. I would never have expected you to welcome it.”
Darcy led the bays to the side of the road and stopped the carriage so he could turn to meet her gaze. “Miss Bennet, you fell into my arms when first we met. I find myself welcoming many things I never expected.”
The blush in her cheeks might have been from the cold, but Darcy did not think so.
He rested the reins gently against his knee, turning his full attention to her. “Meeting you here, in the countryside, was a stroke of luck. There is a sense of peace I find in these fields, these hills—and I am better able to respond to the unexpected.” He took her hand in his free one. “Better prepared for you.”
Miss Bennet glanced down at their entwined hands. “Better prepared for me? Am I so terribly unpredictable?”
He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. “You are exactly the woman I never knew I needed, and here I could meet you without offending you. In London, I am quite a different man. Stiff, overly proper—some might even say rude.”
Elizabeth’s eyebrow quirked up in amusement. “Rude? You? I cannot believe it.”
Darcy chuckled. “It is the truth. According to my family, London Darcy is a complete bore. He broods, he glowers. Here, though. . . here I was ready to meet you.”
Her playful expression softened as she listened to him. He loved watching her emotions flit so naturally across her countenance, for he never had to worry about what she was thinking. Oh, she could be perfectly proper in company, but she had not been so with him. She had not felt the need, and for that, he was grateful.
“Miss Bennet,” he continued, his voice growing more serious, “I have grown fond of the chaos you have brought into my life. So fond, in fact, that I would like more of it.”
“More?” she asked in a whisper.
His eyes sparkled as he leaned just a little closer. “Much more. For I can no longer do without it.” He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed each woollen mitten in turn. “Will you marry me, Miss Bennet?”
She pretended to consider his words, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Well, Mr. Darcy, if you are brave enough to ask, then I suppose I must be brave enough to say yes.”
“Yes?” Darcy’s breath caught as he met her gaze.
She smiled at him, a bit shyly. “Yes. Though I must warn you—I am not the most chaotic member of my family, and they are sure to make long visits.”
Darcy chuckled softly, his eyes bright with anticipation as he considered Christmases to come. “I would not have it any other way.”
The carriage ride had been brisk and the proposal exhilarating, but the sun, which set early this time of year, was beginning to sink behind the trees as they approached Hollydale House.When she saw the commotion in front of the manor, Elizabeth considered it providential that Mr. Darcy had already invited her entire family to dinner.
Because they were all here.
Mr. Darcy slowed the horses. Several carriages stood near the front door, their wheels still muddy from the road. Every footman they had was bustling about, helping passengers down and unloading the many trunks under the stern direction of Mr. Riggs while the cheerful voices of the travellers filled the air.
“Mr. Darcy, look!” she exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across her face. “It is my family!” She turned to her betrothed. “And yours too, soon.”
Sure enough, there were her sisters, Jane alighting gracefully from one carriage while Kitty and Lydia tumbled out of another. Mary stood with Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, who were helping their four young children out into the cold. The children, bundled in scarves and coats, immediately began chasing one another across the lawn, their whoops of pleasure at being out of the carriage adding to the festive atmosphere.
