While Lizzy waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light of the study, Mr. Darcy came up from behind her and put his two arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against him.
“I shall not let you go until you say that you are not angry with me for Lord Fitzwilliam’s appearance, and before you say anything, you must know that he was supposed to go to Netherfield. I certainly did not know he would be traveling with an entourage.”
“But why did you ask him to come at all?”
After releasing her, he took her hand and walked with her to the sofa, but before he sat down Lizzy suggested that they lock the door.
“That sounds promising.”
“It is nothing of the kind. We do not want a repeat of what happened in the library at Netherfield. That is all I meant by my request.”
Darcy let out an exaggerated sigh because he would not have minded a repeat of what had happened in the Netherfield library, but he went and locked the door as requested.
“Mr. Darcy, please tell me why you invited Lord Fitzwilliam to Netherfield? Is it because Mrs. Crenshaw talks too much, and you wanted someone equally loquacious to entertain her?”
“It is not just that she talks too much. Forgive me for discussing such things with you, but she is so heavy with child that I live in fear that she will stand up and from under her skirts an infant will appear.”
Lizzy started to laugh at the picture he had drawn. “From that comment, I gather that your wife will be spending a good deal of time in her apartment when she is with child.”
Darcy looked at Lizzy with that quizzical expression she found so endearing. “Why are you speaking of ‘my wife’ as if she is unknown to you?”
Lizzy said nothing. Did he really think she could talk as if they were betrothed when he had not made her an offer?
“Oh, of course, I see. Well, that is a good opening for me. Shall I stand or kneel?”
“It does not matter,” Lizzy said, and she could barely hear her voice over the sound of her heart beating. “Please proceed.”
“Elizabeth, as you know, I am not good with words, so I shall simply state that I love you from the depths of my heart, and I am now asking that you become my wife.”
Lizzy fell into his arms and clung to him and nodded her assent, and he kissed her with a passion that was even greater than their previous rendezvous, and she felt her reserve crumbling as he kissed her neck and shoulders and moved his body against hers. But even though she was enjoying it immensely, she knew that she had to stop him, and she pushed back.
“Mr. Darcy, please. We cannot continue in this manner. We must rejoin the others.” With his face flushed with passion, he asked in an elevated voice why they must leave when things were going so nicely. “Because of Ellie Timlin, the butcher’s daughter, who married Joe Egger five months ago…”
“When you see Mrs. Egger, please extend my best wishes for her health and happiness, but would you enlighten me as to why she is being discussed at this particular moment?”
“You need not be sarcastic, Mr. Darcy. The Eggers are the parents of a little boy born earlier this month,” and when he shook his head, indicating he still did not understand, she continued, “Let me repeat. The Eggers married five months ago.”
When the information finally sunk in, Darcy released Elizabeth.
“Mr. Darcy, I am a lady, and, therefore, until we are married, we must appear together only in public or with a chaperone.”
“Of course, you are a lady, but a few kisses do not make you less so.” After looking at her expression, he added, “All right. More than a few. But, Elizabeth, do you realize that once we announce our engagement, all eyes will be upon us?”
“Of course, I do. Perhaps you can condole with Mr. Bingley,” she said, teasing him.
“Very well. In that case,” he said, “it would be best if I returned to London.”
“Oh, I see how it is. Because I will not meet with you in secret, the next time I see you will be at the church door on the day of our wedding?” she asked as she moved away from him.
“No, you misunderstand me,” he said, taking her hand and gently coaxing her to his side. “What I meant to say was that I would not see you until Jane’s wedding. After that, I shall speak to your father, and then we shall make the announcement of our engagement.”
“But what about our courtship, Mr. Darcy?”
“A courtship? Have I not been courting you?”
“No, you have not. One letter and two secret meetings is hardly a courtship. And speaking of letters, you must promise me that when you write in the future that all your letters will be like the second one, and none like the first.”
“That is unfair, Elizabeth,” he said in high dudgeon. “I was in a crowded room with Mrs. Forster, the colonel, and his aides, and with Gregg waiting for me to finish the letter, and I felt as if everyone in the room was watching me.”
“I understand, but was it necessary to sign the letter, ‘Yours, F. Darcy’?” Seeing that he had hurt her, he said, “You are right. I should have signed it, ‘Yours, Fitzwilliam Darcy.’”
Lizzy laughed. “You are lucky you wrote that second letter before I saw you again, or you would have received the cold shoulder from me.”
“I will take your shoulders however I can get them,” and he moved to kiss her, but she held up her hands and gently pushed him away.
“As I was saying, as part of our courtship, you must visit me at Longbourn and call on my parents, and when you cannot, you must write me letters. Now that I have had a letter from you, I know you are capable of it.”
“But I am out of stationery,” he said with a smile, which Lizzy did not return. “Was not my letter self-explanatory with no need for elaboration?”
“Self-explanatory. No need for elaboration. Such words of love, Mr. Darcy. I think I shall faint. You put me in mind of Benedick’s failed attempts to write poetry for Beatrice.”
“But the play ends with Beatrice and Benedick marrying, so all’s well that ends well.”
“Clever response, Mr. Darcy, but you have the wrong play.”