As soon as the Lucases were gone, Darcy wasted no time in requesting a private audience with Papa. The elder gentleman responded with a surprised expression, but nonetheless granted him entrance to his library, closing the door behind them.
“Lizzy,” her Mama looked as confused as her father. “What has happened? What did you do?”
Elizabeth bit her lower lip. Apparently, Darcy’s decidedness had managed to astonish them all.
***
“What can I do for you, Mr. Darcy?” Mr. Bennet enquired over his spectacles. “I am at your disposal for whatever you might need. I believe there are few things I could deny you after bringing my daughter home unharmed.”
“It is good to hear that, sir, for I have come to formally ask for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage,” Darcy replied with the seriousness the matter required.
Mr. Bennet sat back on his chair, eyebrows arched up. “Well, this is truly an unexpected development.” His voice was edged with amusement. “My Lizzy did not seem to hold you in high regard during your last visit to Hertfordshire. Nor did she mention seeing you while in Rosings. I should like to know where this sudden understanding comes from.”
Darcy, although prepared for the comment, allowed himself a slight smile. “We have both undergone certain. . . transformations in our opinions, sir. I hold your daughter in the highest esteem, and I assure you, my affections and intentions are most sincere.”
Mr. Bennet tapped his fingers against the armrest of his chair. “And what of Elizabeth? Have you reason to believe she will accept you?”
Darcy’s confidence did not waver. “I do. In fact, she already has.”
Mrs. Bennet’s shrieks of unbridled delight came from behind the door, provoking smiles of amusement in both gentlemen. Elizabeth had surely shared the news with her mother, and Darcy only needed her father’s approval to seal the engagement.
Mr. Bennet chuckled. “Then I suppose there is nothing left for me to do but give my consent and blessing. If Lizzy is willing, I shall not stand in her way. I can only hope that you will make her happy.”
Darcy inclined his head. “I shall do everything in my power to ensure her full contentment.”
***
“Oh, Mr. Bennet!” mama cried when papa emerged from his library. “How could you not tell me sooner? How could you keep such wonderful news from me?”
“I did not keep it from you, my dear,” her father replied dryly. “I only just learned of it myself.”
Her mother hardly seemed to hear him; her thoughts raced faster than her words could follow. “Oh, Lizzy, my dear girl, what an excellent match! To think, you shall be the mistress of Pemberley! I always knew you had an unusual manner about you, but I never dreamed you would marry so well! Why, we must begin preparations at once!”
Elizabeth, overwhelmed by her mother’s enthusiasm, attempted to speak, but to no avail. Mama had already turned her attention to her other daughters, lamenting that Jane was not there to share her sister’s felicity and that the younger girls must take great pains to secure equally advantageous matches.
Her betrothed stood by her side with quiet amusement. He glanced at her, and they shared a joyful smile.
“Perhaps, my dear, we should first sit for dinner.” Papa made an effort to divert her mother’s excitement. “They have just arrived from a long journey, and are surely in need of a good meal to recover their strength.”
Mama clutched Darcy’s arm with a giddy laugh. “Yes, yes, of course! We must celebrate! Oh, Mr. Darcy, what a joy this is! You are too good! I am the happiest mother in all of England!”
***
The family gathered around the table to celebrate Elizabeth's return and her engagement. It was an informal dinner, a stark contrast to the structured, measured conversations Darcy was accustomed to. At first, the lively chatter unsettled him—the easy interruptions, the overlapping voices, the laughter at half-finished jokes. But as the evening progressed, he found himself growing comfortable within the warmth of the Bennet household. There was a familiarity in their interactions, an unpretentious joy that he had never experienced at his own table. It was so different from theformality and darkness of Rosings, and overall, he did not mind the noise all that much.
They discussed the storm and the fire, and everyone was horrified to learn of their danger. Mrs. Bennet's eyes filled with wonder at Mr. Collins's fate, and Kitty asked to see the scar on his hand, her curiosity met with Darcy’s indulgent smile. Even Lydia, who had been unusually quiet, eventually leaned forward and demanded, "But truly, sir, were you not frightened?"
Darcy, surprised at the directness of the question, hesitated before answering. "There was no time for fear. Only action."
It was a simple statement, but it held weight. Elizabeth glanced at him, reading the unspoken sentiment behind his words, and squeezed his hand under the table.
Lydia, for once, was speechless. Eyes wide, she stared at him, her expression caught between admiration and wonder. "Well," she finally said, "if only all gentlemen were so brave!" From that moment onward, she seemed to hang on his every word.
Later that evening, after the excitement had settled, Elizabeth accompanied Darcy to the carriage that would take him to the inn in Meryton. He was invited to stay as a guest at Longbourn, but he had declined the invitation, not wanting to impose on the family.
The cool night air carried the distant murmur of voices from inside the house, but out here, they had a rare moment of solitude.
Elizabeth wrapped her arm around his and snuggled into his side. “This has come much faster than I expected,” she murmured. “To think, only weeks ago, I never imagined I would be here with you.”
