Once his question was asked, he searched her eyes and in them found his answer, and his heart was beating so rapidly he was sure it would never again have a normal rhythm.
“I love you too, Charles. I admit it came on gradually, I was in the middle before I realised it had begun. Yes, I now love you deeply and have determined you are the only one for me.” Jane spoke the words he had prayed to hear, and he was ecstatic.
“You have no idea how joyful you have made me, my angel. You have given my heart wings and it soars to the highest heavens now.” He dropped onto one knee, “Jane Bennet, you are the love of my life, and like you I know you are my one and only. I could never see a future with anyone else. Please make me the happiest of men and say that you will join your life with mine, that you will be my wife.”
“Yes, Charles! Yes, I will marry you. I will only marry you,” Jane consented as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.
It seemed there was no need for a clue or a push, her Charles had got to the point on his own. Her eyes were closed as she regulated her emotions, and she felt a light brush of her fiancé’s lips on her own.
Discovering Jane receptive, he kissed her again, this one a much deeper kiss, and he would have kissed her sweet lips more if his brother and sister had not started talking loud enough to remind them that they were not alone. Jane and Bingley were flushed with embarrassment as they jumped apart, having forgotten others existed in the world in their extreme joy.
“Congratulations Brother! Congratulations Jane, and welcome to the family.” Louisa Hurst smiled as she and her husband reached the very embarrassed couple. Louisa hugged her soon to be sister while her husband shook Charles’s hand vigorously.
Jane was relieved to see Louisa was sincere in her wishes and was genuinely happy for her younger brother. She would be happy to gain such a sister.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy led his fiancée and future mother down to the main floor and back into a wing he had so far mostly avoided until this moment, excitement growing for him as he guided them to the double doors that led into the library.
“Do you trust me?” he asked Lizzy just as he had before she saw Pemberley for the first time.
“With my life,” she promised, using the same words she had then.
“Close your eyes and give me your hand, my dearest.” He held his hand out for hers. As she placed her delicate, petite hand in his much larger one, Lizzy closed her eyes.
Darcy opened the doors, and they walked in. Even before she opened her eyes, she knew she was to behold something exceptional as she had heard her mother try to stifle a gasp of wonder and she could smell the wonderful scent of leather and parchment.
“Open your eyes, my love,” Darcy murmured down to her. Lizzy was dumbstruck.
Never in her wildest imagination had she envisioned such a place. The library was the only room that went up to a height of three floors with spiral staircases on either side that allowed access to the second and third levels. There were ladders on wheels on each level of the library to get to the upper shelves. Books filled almost every available space. If she lived five lifetimes, she doubted she would be able to read half of the tomes she could see.
“Put a bed in here with a goodly supply of port when I visit you, Lizzy, as wild horses will not remove me from this magnificent library,” Bennet, who had joined them for this part of the tour, teased as he broke the silence.
Elizabeth was surprised to see her father in the library with them. Then she realised William must have arranged for him to be there so she and her father could see the library for the first time together.
Fanny smiled as she thought about her Thomas. Before the twins were born, Thomas would have closeted himself in this room to the exclusion of all else. Even if she had not spied the sly, sardonic smile on her husband’s face, she knew her Thomas, the one that had the epiphany after her sons were born, would certainly enjoy time here when they visited, but not at the exclusion of all else.
“The smell of the leather and the number of books is wonderful. William, you told me your library was big, but this is beyond my wildest imagination.” Elizabeth again looked around in awe then her eyes finally found his and he chuckled at seeing the reaction he had hoped for and so much more.
“This collection is the work of many generations, starting with Pierre D’Arcy in the time of William the Conqueror. He was gifted the land Pemberley stands on, and soon after our name was anglified and changed to Darcy.
“He brought a large collection of tomes with him from France and started collecting books in England as soon as he had the original house built, so even then he had a sizable library in his house.
“Every subsequent master of Pemberley has added to the collection, including the current master. You see the results of my efforts and those of many generations of my forefathers surrounding us in this room,” Darcy explained.
“I will never want to leave Pemberley,” Lizzy stated.
“I would not complain about that,” Darcy returned Lizzy’s tease, but meant what he said wholeheartedly.
“You have chosen the perfect mate for you, my Lizzy,” her father agreed wistfully, “as I told you at Longbourn, I could never have parted with you my Lizzy to someone less worthy.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As soon as Bennet entered the drawing room, he was approached by Bingley who requested an interview. Requesting a private location, Darcy told Bennet to use his study. Guessing the subject of the interview, Bennet asked Fanny to join him.
Bingley closed the door and turned one of the chairs in front of the massive oak desk to face the settee where the Bennet matriarch and patriarch sat. “You requested this meeting, Charles, so the floor is yours,” Bennet invited.
“Thank you, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet.” Bingley cleared his throat and met Mr. Bennet’s eyes in that man to man way that gave respect. “I would like to request Miss Bennet’s hand in marriage, so I am asking for your consent and blessing.”
