“My parents’ greatest desire for Georgie and me was for us to find our match; the one who would love and complete us. If they could have met you, they would have seen we were perfectly formed for each other, and you are theonlyone for me. Elizabeth Bennet, it may seem quick to some, but please believe me when I say I love you. Most ardently.”
He did not know it yet, but he could not have declared himself with more convincing words which demonstrated his love and respect for Elizabeth. Further, his words helped her allow herself to be open to him in ways she was not sure she ever would be able to with any man.
“I had intended to only ask for a courtship today Elizabeth, but I find I have no questions for which a courtship would be needed to answer. I know I want you to share my life with me, the good and the bad. I know you have a large fortune, but I do not need it.
“I have more than enough for the two of us and any children we may have in the future. Of course, if you accept me. I have told you how much I love and respect you, but your thoughts and feelings are much more important to me than my own. I will live and die for you, Elizabeth, for only you, and will do all I can to make sure that in my care none of your days see you come to harm.
“If you, however, feel you are not in love with me yet and that you need to get to know me better, I will request a courtship for as long a period you feel you need. But if, as I truly hope that you do,” Darcy dropped down onto one knee, “if your feelings match mine in any way, then my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth, again I confess my everlasting and most ardent love and would ask you make me the happiest of men should you consent to marry me, to be my helpmeet, to allow me the deepest of happiness by being my wife.”
Tears started to roll down Lizzy’s cheeks and at first, Darcy thought she was upset. He was about to apologise and stood up when she rose onto her tiptoes and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. Darcy froze; not daring to hope that this meant what he thought it did.
“Yes, William, and yes again. I will marry you, yes, infinite times, yes. I love you so very much, I could burst with joy. Almost from our first meeting, I too have been falling in love with you. When I see how patient you are with my brothers and sisters, your sister, and all the rest of the family, how genuine you are, I am lost. You have demonstrated respect for me in our debates and discussions, you have treated me as an intellectual equal rather than some silly girl to be merely tolerated.
“When we play chess, you really play to win, and I have never detected any animus when I won.” Elizabeth arched an eyebrow with an impertinent look that made him smile and display the dimples that she loved to see. “Another thing that convinced me how worthy and honourable a man you are was seeing your interaction with the servants. You treat them with respect, not disdain.
“With just these facts how could I not but love you? When you look at me, I see the love, respect, and esteem which I require my husband to regard me with within your eyes. So yes, William as previously stated, I will marry you. I too do not need a courtship to find out what I have known for a while, that you are the only man I could ever be prevailed upon to marry.” Elizabeth’s heart filled to almost bursting and she sniffled as any moment of great joy requires.
Darcy was overcome by her answer, so it took some moments for him too to regain his sensibilities. “Do you prefer Elizabeth or Lizzy?” he asked glowing with happiness.
“Either my love,” she replied softly, and her response sounded like music to his ears.
Their lips met again in a longer, deeper, and more passionate kiss heavy with the promise of more to come in the future, until a voice intruded and made them pull apart.
“Hey! Darcy and Lizzy, what do you think you are doing?” James demanded.
The newly declared engaged couple blushed with embarrassment for having forgotten the twins were not too far away in the park. They looked up and saw both boys glaring at them as they strode closer. “This better mean you are to be our brother!” Tom stated with authority as they reached the furiously blushing couple.
“I have just proposed, and Elizabeth has accepted my hand. Unless your father refuses my suit then yes, we will be brothers,” Darcy replied with the widest of smiles, one that displayed his dimples again and made his fiancée’s stomach flutter. His small Darcy family would expand exponentially.
“You should smile more often. You are so very handsome when you smile like that.” Elizabeth leaned toward him speaking softly so only he would hear.
“After you speak to Papa, I expect you to come to James and me and get our approval as well!” Tom smirked as he ribbed William as the twins walked the newly declared lovers back toward the house.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Mr. Bennet entered the drawing room with a grinning Charles Bingley just as the four from outside arrived. “Bingley here has requested a courtship with Jane, and she has accepted him, which makes the second today although we all expected Richard’s request this week.” Bennet stood up proud and tall, glad his daughters were finding just the kind of men he hoped keeping their dowries secret would attract.
As everyone was congratulating the second newly courting couple, James went up to his father. “Papa, I think William wants to talk to you,” he stated quietly.
Bennet glanced at his Lizzy and surmised he was about to be asked for a third courtship, so he indicated for Darcy to follow him into his study. Once in the study with the door closed, Bennet sat behind the desk while Darcy sat stiffly in front of it, guessing correctly that Bennet expected another courtship request.
Darcy cleared his throat and then started to speak nervously. “Mr. Bennet, if you are expecting another request for a courtship, I must disabuse you of that notion.” He noticed a questioning look on Bennet’s face. “I am here to ask for Miss Elizabeth’s hand in marriage,” Darcy stated plainly so there could be no confusion about his intent or desires.
Bennet and his wife had both seen this was inevitable, that Lizzy and William suited each other like a hand in glove, but Bennet had not expected this exact request today. “Her hand in marriage?” Bennet asked with no little surprise.
“Yes sir, I asked Eliza...Miss Elizabeth for her hand and she has granted my fondest wish and my deepest desire. She has honoured me by accepting me as her fiancé,” Darcy informed Bennet.
“I see,” Bennet said noncommittedly as he rang a bell. Hill knocked once on the door and opened it. “Please request Mrs. Bennet and Miss Elizabeth join us, and thank you, Hill.”
Hill silently closed the door and very soon it opened to admit Mrs. Bennet and Lizzy. Once everyone was comfortably seated, Bennet turned to address his partner in life, his beloved Fanny. “Darcy has not asked for a courtship like we speculated, my love. He asked for her hand in marriage and has told me that Lizzy accepted him,” Bennet explained.
“That is correct Papa and Mama,” Elizabeth confirmed as she looked at each of her beloved parents in turn. “We are deeply in love, so we do not need a courtship to find out if we fit. We already know that we do,” she stated calmly as she slipped her hand into her William’s, intertwining their fingers and squeezing his hand to help him relax and winning a private thank you and a smile that was hers alone.
“William is looking for a partner, not someone to defer to him. He needs someone to challenge him, to debate with him, to read books with, to play chess with, and to have the kind of partnership I see before me every day. For as long as I can remember, we have all gotten to watch the excellent example you have set for us, and you should not be surprised I would settle for none but the promise of the kind of marriage you share.
“You must have noticed how we love to debate all sorts of issues, and William always respects my point of view, even when he does not agree with it. And most importantly, when he sees the sense of my point, he has no problem adjusting his opinion to match mine and learn from me as I will learn from him. He has never dismissed anything I have said just because of my sex.”
Both Bennet and Fanny cogitated for a minute or two, in which they watched the young couple offer calm assurances of knowing each other’s desires. What they were asking for was surely as inevitable as the sun would rise in the east on the morrow. After a silent communication between the Bennet parents, Bennet cleared his throat.
