“Yes.”He smiled at her, amusement in his eyes.“Does that truly surprise you?”
“After the last two days, yes it does.Though perhaps nothing should surprise me anymore.”
He reached up and touched her cheek with the back of his fingers.“So, I may call?”
“You may.Although, I imagine it would be difficult to call when you are staying here at Longbourn.”
He smiled wryly.“You are correct.But I am certain there are other advantages to be had from such an arrangement.”
She quirked a brow.She liked this playful side to the staid Mr.Darcy.“I imagine there are.”
She should not have been surprised that Mr.Darcy had a curious mind.He was an intelligent man, after all.He had gleaned the truth of the situation surrounding the fire without her having to tell him.But that did not mean his questions were easy to bear.
He had been at Longbourn two days now, and nearly every moment he was at the house was spent at Elizabeth’s side.Mr.Bingley had proposed to Jane on the lawn at Netherfield.The fire had solidified his resolve to never live without her, and Elizabeth and Darcy were often the engaged couple’s designated chaperones.They strolled the gardens around Longbourn, they walked to Oakham Mount, and they traipsed through the surrounding forest.Often, the two couples would become separated, losing sight of each other until they returned to Longbourn’s gate, but there was nothing to be done for it.
Darcy took these opportunities to pester Elizabeth with questions.He wished to know how often she had dreams, what those dreams consisted of, and when he had begun to feature in them.He also wished to know more intimate details, like whether or not they were happy together and if they had children, but his reserve always stopped him just before he spoke the questions aloud.He did not wish to make Elizabeth uncomfortable.
Their courtship was proceeding at an alarming pace, yet neither of them felt it at all unusual.For Darcy, Elizabeth appeared to be exactly what he needed and had been secretly hoping for.After all, he had been dreaming of her for months now.Elizabeth felt as though she already knew him, for she had been dreaming of him for over four years.So it should not have been unexpected when they began calling each other by their given names at the end of their first day of courting, nor that when Mr.Bennet approached his daughter the morning of the second day and asked her what was going on between her and the quiet man from Derbyshire, she had said calmly, “I am going to marry him, Papa.”
Mr.Bennet had stared back at her, mouth agape, but he did not protest.She had a surety to her voice and manner that he had not seen since his grandmother passed five years ago.Granny used to tell him, “When a Bennet woman knows, she knows,” and that had been the end of the discussion.He would not argue with Elizabeth when she knew.
Instead, he said dryly, “Send your young man to me when he is ready.I will make certain the settlements are favorable.”
She smiled at her father and followed her suitor into the garden.
On his fourth day at Longbourn, Darcy determined he would ask Elizabeth what he truly wished to know.They were walking in the garden despite the day being gray and cold, and he finally blurted out his question.“Are we happy together?”
“I am happy right now,” she said sweetly, giving him a shy smile.
He could not help but return it, leaning towards her for a moment before catching himself.“I am as well.But I was referring to the future.Are we happy together, you and I?And do we have children?”
Her eyes widened, but she had known these questions would come.“Yes, we are wildly happy together.You smile a good deal.And you are very affectionate.”She blushed and looked away.
Darcy smiled smugly.He would be a good husband.He had always hoped he would.“And children?”he asked softly.
“Yes, there are children.I have a frequent dream with Jane.She and I are both with child, our third confinements.She has two little boys; we have a son and daughter.The son is the elder.”She smiled tentatively and, seeing his curious expression, she continued, “He is curious about the natural world and spends many hours pestering the gardeners with questions.He is also trying to train a puppy, but he is not patient enough to be successful just yet.”
Darcy chuckled.
“He looks like you.”
His eyes jumped to hers at the gentle confession.She looked shy and nervous while her fingers plucked at her skirt.He reached out to take her hand, stilling it in his.He ran his thumb over her skin, calming her.
“He has my nature, though.We go on adventures together, traipsing through the forest and falling into streams.”She smiled happily at the memory of one of her favorite dreams.
“And our daughter?”he asked, his voice deep and husky.
“She looks like me, but she has your expressions.She is quiet, like you.Her puppy is excellently trained,” she added with an impish smile.
Darcy laughed.
“She is the apple of your eye, and our son is your greatest source of pride.We are very happy, Fitzwilliam.”
Darcy felt tears pricking at his eyes knowing he would have every secret wish he had ever hoped for.“Elizabeth,” he said hoarsely, “you are a treasure I do not deserve.”He gathered her to him and she came willingly—her arms stealing about his waist and holding him tight.
“Holding you in reality is much better than in a dream,” she said, her voice muffled against his coat.
Darcy stilled.
