When he finally pulled away, they were both breathing raggedly.
“Lizzy!” Jane’s voice intruded.
Turning to look at her sister and Mr Bingley coming around a bend in the orchard path, seeing that their eyes were wide and brows sky-high, Elizabeth said, “We are betrothed!”
Several minutes of surprised exclamations and congratulations ensued. Eventually, Mr Darcy said, “Let us go see your father.”
And Elizabeth, still stunned about the results of her moment of courage, nodded and grasped his arm.
Six
That evening, Charles Bingley narrowed his eyes as he looked at his good friend. “You know how much I value all that you have taught me about estate management. I have thanked you at every turn, have I not?”
Darcy nodded. “Certainly. And yet…you look at me as if you are upset with me?”
“Well, Darce, I have no right to be upset. But you told me that I should be patient, I should make very sure of my feelings for Jane—um, that is, for Miss Bennet—before I declare myself or propose. And you went on to point out that, even though you have waited years for Miss Elizabeth to be old enough for your proposal, you were determined to give her plenty of time to get to know you, did you not?”
“I did.”
“But the very next day you proposed!”
“In one sense, that is true, but?—”
Bingley interrupted, “But you do not mind hypocrisy, as long as Saint Darcy is the one being hypocritical?”
“I hope that I am not hypocritical. However, perhaps you can share your judgement of meafteryou listen to what I was attempting to explain.”
Waving his hand, Bingley said, “Of course; forgive me. Please explain.”
“Miss Elizabeth and I were discussing news from an acquaintance we share; she had received a letter that day from the woman. I could see signs that Miss Elizabeth had cried, and I remarked with sympathy about her emotions, and she burst out with two questions: Was I attempting to court her, and were my intentions honourable.”
“Sheaskedyou?”
Darcy chuckled a bit and replied, “Those two questions are not the established form of a marriage proposal, but she apparently did not need more time to know her heart. I assured her that I did see myself as a suitor and did have honourable intentions, and then she seemed to expect me to propose. It seemed quite imperative.”
Bingley felt ashamed to have judged his friend harshly.
“My apologies, again. I suppose I just feel impatient to make Miss Bennet mine.”
“I understand. Now that I can kiss Elizabeth…I feel a hundred times more impatient myself!”
Hearing the word “kiss” coming out of Darcy’s mouth was far too much for Bingley to bear. He grimly considered that it had only been a fortnight since he met his beloved Jane—and it seemed quite impossible for him to be able to wait another fortnight for his own kiss!
Elizabeth laid in bed,although the sun was up.
She had gotten precious little sleep the night before, as the twisted sheets and blankets could attest. She had thought that being so happily engaged to marry would have afforded herthe peace to sleep deeply and solidly, but instead she had been tortured by the memories of Mr Darcy’s kiss….
In fact, Elizabeth found herself worrying about that kiss.
It had been wonderful.Incrediblywonderful—but it was also masterful. And she worried about that. Mr Darcy—he had asked her to call him Fitzwilliam, but it was hard to make the switch, even in her mind—hehad told her that he had never felt the way he felt about her with any other lady. But, then, how did he know so well how to kiss?
Of course, Mr Darcy was seven years older than her. And a man. But, still, if he had never loved anyone else….
Over the course of the next several days, Elizabeth tried to call on the courage she supposedly had to ask Mr Darcy how he had learnt to kiss so well, but there were two interruptions in the form of Jane and Mr Bingley attempting to chaperone as they felt they must, and the third time she meant to ask, Mr Darcy suddenly realised that nobody was nearby, and he took advantage of the rare solitude to kiss her again.
That was only their second kiss, but it was even better than their first. (She was no longer counting her chaste peck as a kiss.)
It seemed ridiculous to waste their rare private time with a likely upsetting discussion when they could instead enjoy another, much more pleasant activity.
