Elizabeth had never seen a ruby that large before. It was surrounded by four blue-green stones she could not identify[7].
She soon forgot about the ring on her finger as William slowly lowered his head towards hers. Elizabeth tilted her head up so their lips would be able to meet. Being kissed by the sun’s rays, she could think of no more perfect place to experience her first kiss. It thrilled her that the first man she kissed would be the only one she would ever kiss in a romantic sense. Her heart was already racing. However, as his lips brushed hers, it felt as though her heart wanted to leap out of her chest, so it too could feel William’s lips.
Like he had since things had thawed between them, Darcy did not rush Elizabeth with their first kiss. It was chaste and a light touch of their lips, but his betrothed decided that was not enough because she snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. Darcy could do nothing but comply with his love’s wishes. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her body tightly against his. The kisses deepened until he flicked her lips with his tongue, and Elizabeth’s lips parted instinctively. Soon, they were tasting one another. He had lost all sense of time as they unleashed their mutual passion. As such, he had no idea how many of their ten minutes they had already used.
“I am returning!” was called out by Mrs Annesley, which caused the newly engaged couple to step back from each other.
Elizabeth and her betrothed were reminded that they were not alone, and until they married, would more than likely not be without others in any meaningful way again. Darcy felt himself return to his normal state as a certain organ shrank. All he could do was hope that Elizabeth and her maidenlysensibilities had not noted his reaction to their kisses.
Darcy would have been mortified to know Elizabeth had noticed the bulge pushing against her belly. Having grown up on a working farm, and after reading some of Papa’sforbiddenbooks, which she was not allowed to read but had seen as a challenge, she knew exactly what had caused the pressure, and she was in no way upset. In fact, she felt the compliment of William’s reaction to her.
“Am I to wish you two happy?” Mrs Annesley enquired when she approached the couple. “Judging by the ring on Miss Elizabeth’s finger, you are both to be congratulated.”
“Thank you, Mrs Annesley,” Elizabeth responded dreamily. Normally, she looked down on the fields below as the sun rose. Today, Elizabeth did not see the fields full of the crops which had been sown during the spring planting; she only saw her affianced standing opposite her, his piercing blue eyes locked onto hers.
“I think we should return to the house,” Darcy said as he came back to reality. “I need to ask for your father’s blessing.”
“Indeed, we should,” Elizabeth agreed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In the same manner he had when Darcy asked for his blessing for the courtship, Bennet bestowed his blessing for the engagement without making sport of the younger man.
Once everyone was at the table for the morning meal, Bennet made the announcement. As happy as they all were for the newly engaged couple, the news surprised none of them. Anna was beyond pleased that her wish to gain the Bennet sisters as her sisters would become a reality. When Priscilla pointed out to Anna with Jamey marrying Jane that she and Emily would technically be Anna’s sisters-in-law as well, Anna was even happier.
Before she quit the room, Elizabeth went to her parents and told them she preferred not to have her engagement announced before Jane’s wedding as she did not want to take any of the well-deserved attention from her dearest sister. Bennet agreed to hold off with the official announcement until after the wedding on Saturday.
As they were leaving the dining parlour after the meal, Darcy solicited the three important sets at the ball on the morrow from Elizabeth, who was only too pleased to grant them. Then, he leaned his head close to Elizabeth’s ear. “Will you join me in the library, please?” he requested. Seeing her arched eyebrow, Darcy elucidated. “I have a letter from my father to be opened on the day I become engaged. That day is today. I want you to read it with me.”
“Of course, I will join you,” Elizabeth agreed. “While you go collect it, I will ask Miss Jones or Mrs Annesley to sit with us. If they are both unavailable, I will ring for Jenny.”
Before Elizabeth could seek out one of the companions, Jane stopped her. “Lizzy, I heard what you said to Mamma and Papa. Jamey and I both agree that announcing your engagement will not take away from our celebration; it will only add to it. Unless you and William object, I will request that Papa make the announcement during supper at the ball.”
“I will ask William for his opinion on the matter. Only if you and Jamey are sure,” Elizabeth responded.
“We are certain,” Jane assured her younger sister.
The sisters hugged, and Elizabeth continued on her quest to find a chaperone. Miss Jones was free and agreed to come sit in the library. Since Mr Bennet had populated the shelves with his collection of books, spending time in the library was a pleasure.
When Darcy entered the library, he saw his belovedwaiting for him on a settee. Miss Jones was reading in one corner of the room from where she had a good view of the settee. She had no concerns, as she knew that the Miss Bennets, even Miss Lydia by now, were all well-behaved.
Darcy sat and slowly, reverently extracted the epistle from his inside jacket pocket. He sat next to his dearest, loveliest Elizabeth, the woman who he loved body and soul. Darcy’s breath hitched when she rubbed her fingers over the raised ‘D’ with the laurels either side of it. Then, she lifted his left hand and looked at the signet ring on his little finger, which, when it had been worn by his late father, had been pushed into the hot wax to seal the missive.
Elizabeth nodded to William that she was ready.
Darcy used one of his thumb’s nail to gently lift the wax without cracking it so he could keep it as a memento. He slowly unfolded the slightly yellowed pages. He took a deep breath and held the letter in a way that he was sure Elizabeth would be able to read along with him.
20 April 1803
William,
I, as I know your mother is, am very sorry I am not alive to meet the woman who you are to marry.
In my previous letter, I spoke to you about character and other subjects, so I will not do so again here. There is nothing I can do to ensure you have taken those words to heart, but I believe that you will after you read them.
All I can pray is that upon reading my first letter you chose a woman for all the right reasons which were not based on fortune, rank, and connections alone.
That is not to say you could not be happy with such a lady; but as I told you in my first letter, respect and love are the elements you need for a long and felicitous marriage between true partners.
