Darcy turned off his cell with a smile. Inside, he felt a sense of deep contentment. He loved the sound of her voice, thick with sleep, knowing she was in his bed. A part of him was appalled at his possessive feelings, and there was no way he would tell Elizabeth about them, but he couldn’t deny them either.
He was pleased and comforted to know she was safe and well, in his home. Having lost that simple blessing for even a few hours had magnified its value to him. And that value wasn’t going to recede for quite a while.
“Hey.” Charles’s voice arrested his meditations. “Time to get ready.” Charles looked at the phone in Darcy’s hand. “Is she coming?”
Darcy smiled and nodded, not needing to explain anything more.
Charles looked pleased. “Good. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“What? You think I can’t?” Darcy’s tone was playful, not defensive.
Charles matched his mocking tone. “I just wouldn’t want to see you choke.” He tilted his head. “That would suck.”
Darcy smiled. “You just play your bass. I’ll be fine.”
Charles smiled back. He knew that Darcy would never have taken him up on his offer, but friendship had demanded that he make it.
Darcy collected his acoustic guitar from the instrument area and joined Jane and Charlotte, being mic’ed in preparation for the concert. Richard and Charles stood nearby.
Darcy wore his leather pants and a black clingy T-shirt. He didn’t want to take anything away from Jane tonight. Jane stood quietly, letting the sound technician wire her and test her equipment, her expression calm and distant.
Charles studied her, reflecting on how easily someone else could look at her and believe her indifferent. He knew that was far from the truth. Behind Jane’s still blue eyes, he knew she was distressed. The news that the charges against Elizabeth had been dropped had reached them the same way it had reached the rest of the world: on the television, flickering in the darkness of his bedroom. There, in their private cocoon, she expressed her feelings of relief, crying on him, and then finding comfort in his body.
After they learned the details, first from Rachel, and later from Darcy, she became defiant. Long Borne Suffering were not victims and they would perform that night. Charlotte’s fearlessness matched Jane’s, and Darcy immediately volunteered to take Elizabeth’s place. They spent little more than an hour rehearsing the three songs they would perform. It wasn’t a full set, but it was a statement.
Now, as Jane prepared to go onstage for the first time without her sister or her manager, Charles knew the apprehension that filled her, yet he was impressed by her cool resolve. He felt deeply touched and honored to know that he was one of the few whom his private Jane would trust with her feelings. She was like a beautiful work of art only exhibited to a very select few. He found it was yet another reason to love her, his heart won over once again.
She looked up and her eyes met his. He stepped forward and took her into his arms, holding her close and shielding her for a moment with his body. As he embraced her, letting her ground her fears in him, he was struck by the memory of the first time he held her, on that jet so long ago. He realized that while Jane might not have trusted her heart to know she loved Charles until much later, the way she trusted him with her fears was all the reassurance he should have needed.
He kissed her lips lightly, careful of her makeup, and his eyes spoke comfortingly to her.
Charlotte couldn’t help but look around, her eyes seeking people she knew wouldn’t be there, as her hands rhythmically moved in their mindless dance.
“You okay, beautiful?”
Charlotte focused on her lover, and she couldn’t repress the smile that came to her. Love, the experience of being in it, continued to surprise her, with tiny and immeasurable delights that she had never known before. Hearing Richard call her beautiful and knowing now what it meant, sent a tiny electric shiver up her back, interrupting her thoughts and playing havoc with her senses. She was goofy with love and relished it.
She laughed, her emotions too high to bottle up, and nodded. Richard took her hands in his and brought them up to his lips.
“Big house tonight.”
Charlotte voiced a sound of agreement. “We’ve played bigger.”
Richard’s eyes crinkled. “You’re not going to do it, are you?”
“What?”
“Let me play the big strong man while you swoon in my arms.”
Charlotte laughed again. “No.” She took her hands out of his and wrapped her arms around his neck. “But if you want, I’ll be happy to swoon in your arms when we get back home.” She lifted her eyebrows seductively and Richard kissed the rich sweetness of her lips, pressing her slight body to his.
She was amazing, growing in beauty and confidence by the moment, each second becoming more and more desirable and beloved to him. He was awestruck with the knowledge that his love had effected this change in her. And while he knew his demons might return, he believed that he would never stop craving the remarkable woman in his arms.
“I love you, Char,” he whispered in her ear, delighting in the response he provoked with his words. She purred happily before kissing him. As he tasted her once again, he knew he was lost. Gone. Done. Take him off the market and put him out to pasture. This smart, sassy, beautiful, sexy woman wanted him, and he would be happy to follow her around for the rest of his life.
Caroline approached the group and shared a smile with Darcy at the two couples. “She’s coming?” she asked softly. Darcy nodded and Caroline found herself pleased for him. “Good.” Then she raised her voice. “Jane, Char, it’s time.”
The two couples released each other and the women shared an awkward smile. Their routine was broken and they were uncertain what to do next.
Charles stepped up and said, “Come on,” in a low, easy voice, leading them along the dark path to the stage edge. Charlotte had earlier explained her discussion with Alex to Jane, who accepted it, both of them knowing nothing would be final until they had conferred with Elizabeth. But it did leave them in an uneasy position on this night.
The trio was surprised when Charles walked boldly out to center stage, after stopping them offstage. The audience roared with recognition. He waited a moment and then held up his hands.
“Hey,” he said as easily as if he was talking to a single person instead of a crowd of twenty thousand. He waited while they responded and then continued. Offstage Jane and Darcy shared an amused look. This was Charles at his best. “You might’ve heard, we’ve had a busy day,” he told the crowd conversationally, intimacy building with each word and expression.
The audience puzzled for a moment, then responded with a loud building cheer.
“Yeah,” Charles shrugged, “but that’s not gonna stop us.”
Screams followed.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked, his voice deep and sexy. “Long Borne Suffering.”
The trio moved out as the crowd climbed to an even higher pitch, not a seated person in the house. All the audience’s doubts and concerns about the night’s performance had been dashed by Charles’s confidence. They knew they were in for one hell of a show.
Darcy started the familiar riff of “Everything You Are” and they were off. After “Wanted” Jane took the entirely redundant step of introducing and thanking Darcy for playing for Elizabeth. They finished with “The Longest Good-bye,” Jane singing that night for someone she had never sung to before, who wasn’t even there.
Charles was waiting to lead them back when they came off the stage and Richard met them at the green room, full of praise for all of them. The three men came together fully prepared to show everyone why Slurry was one of the top names in the business. They moved with a precision founded on confidence and long practice. Charles was wired for sound while Darcy removed his shirt and warmed up his Paul Reid Smith. The stage was done over for them, with an additional monitor set up for Darcy.
When Caroline came over, Darcy asked her, “You know what to do?”
Caroline smiled. “I’ve been briefed.” They found themselves together as once again the others were locked in passionate embraces. Darcy looked charmingly embarrassed. “So, um, how’s Faust?”
Caroline struggled to keep her countenance. “He’s great,” she answered warmly, trying to reassure him. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Darcy nodded, relieved that once again, Caroline always knew what he was thinking. They took the stage, and all of their distractions fell away. Darcy lost himself in his music, Charles giving voice to his thoughts, and Richard pounding out his heartbeat.
And the crowd responded to him. He was reaching them through his music and he felt a sense of acceptance that Darcy hadn’t recognized before.
Elizabeth declined Rachel’s offer to go shopping for an outfit for the night. She couldn’t help but suspect Rachel was trying to torment her employer by keeping Elizabeth away from the show as long as possible. She dressed in one of her concert outfits, finding that it felt natural to wear, even though she didn’t expect to perform.
She was hungry and did stop to eat when Rachel had some wonderful-smelling take-out delivered. She was finishing her makeup when the phone rang, with Tommy announcing he was waiting for them downstairs.
When they were safely in the limo, Rachel gave Elizabeth her backstage pass and put on her own. Elizabeth followed Rachel into the building as Tommy hurried them past the security points. They walked down a long corridor, the sound of Slurry passing through the walls. Elizabeth smiled, hearing her lover’s playing and finding herself warmed by it.
They emerged backstage and Rachel took Elizabeth directly to the control center. Caroline greeted her warmly, giving her a hug and expressing her happiness at Elizabeth’s good news.
“Darcy asked for you to stand here,” Caroline told her, leading her to the bank of monitors, which showed Slurry rocking out onstage. Elizabeth stood where Caroline placed her, not even noticing the small camera aimed at her. Caroline took a moment to stand at Elizabeth’s side, enjoying the spectacle on screen before going back to the console.
Darcy was relaxed, playing “Taking Control,” a song he had written with Charles. It was loud and vigorous with a challenging, syncopated beat. Darcy enjoyed himself, his guitar riding low over his groin as he played powerfully, relishing the pleasure of mastery, of doing something difficult well.
Caroline’s voice came to him over the headset. “She’s here.”
Darcy looked up to Charles, who nodded that he had received that same message, and then to Richard.
“Look at your monitor, Darcy,” Caroline instructed. There stood Elizabeth, watching them with a smile for him alone.
Elizabeth watched with Jane and Charlotte as Slurry’s song ended and surprisingly, Darcy moved to center stage. Charles stepped away and the full light was on Darcy.
Elizabeth looked to her band mates, who both shook their head in confusion. They knew Slurry’s sets as well as their own, and this was completely new to them.
Their jaws dropped as they saw Darcy remove his sunglasses before he began to speak.
“This is for Elizabeth,” he said, then stopped, looking like he wanted to say more but instead nodded to Charles and began the riff that Elizabeth recognized from that morning a week ago at Pemberley. Her astonishment was complete when he started singing, his voice deep and rich.
It was a long, dark, lonely night,
And I thought you were gone.
I didn’t know how I’d get through.
I had to look inside.
I found a trust I never knew.
Elizabeth’s jaw quivered, her eyes locked on his, as he looked right into the camera and her.
But somehow my luck turned around
The fate that was overdue,
And suddenly you’re right by my side.
And now everything is new.
Darcy looked up at the monitor and was confused to find it empty. He turned to look offstage and found Elizabeth there, watching him. Her eyes were huge and shiny; her face pale, but a huge, heartfelt smile illuminated her features.
Smiling back, Darcy sang the chorus:
You changed me,
You broke through all the pain that there was.
You changed me
And made me brand new.
You changed me.
And now that I am free I know
I want to spend my life with you.
Turning, he sang to her, expressing everything he felt in his heart, ignoring the crowd that was screaming wildly at what it was witnessing.
When he finished the final repeat of the chorus he moved offstage, completely mindless of the audience. Charles took over, announcing they would have a break, while Caroline made sure Darcy’s microphone was turned off.
They found themselves in the instrument area, the one place they had met so many times on the tour, the place that was always the same, no matter where they played. He released the strap on his guitar and lowered it to its stand, all the while his eyes never leaving hers.
She stared at him, moved beyond words. Her eyes alone expressed the fierce love she felt.
As soon as the guitar was down, he snatched her up, unable to be another second from her embrace. As she felt his hands tangling in her hair, pulling her close, fresh tears formed in her eyes. She had never felt so loved before, and her heart broke and was remade with each tear.
His mouth was upon hers, starting with gentle tender kisses that soon exploded in their mutual need. Her mouth opened and he explored the depths, his tongue probing and possessing. Her hands touched his bare back, feeling the strength of his body and the slickness of the sweat on his skin.
She was lost to everything but desire. The delicious pleasure of his mouth ignited a fire inside her. She needed more. Her hands stole around him to rest on his chest, where she stroked him, from his shoulders to the waistband of his pants.
Darcy was fumbling with the hooks of her bra when he realized where they were. He didn’t know how his hands had gotten under her shirt, which was pushed up, her skin against his own, but he knew this was not the place for what he wanted, needed to do to her. With trembling hands he lowered her shirt, her eyes showing first confusion, then surprise and understanding as she returned to awareness.
He grabbed her hand and led her to the dressing rooms. They entered the first open door they found, stopping only long enough to make sure it was empty and to lock the door, then they surged back into each other’s arms, kissing each other frantically to make up for their brief pause. Elizabeth’s shirt and bra fell to the floor, and neither could recall removing it. Darcy soon found himself opening the zipper and button of his pants to prevent injuring himself.
Elizabeth relished the sensation of her bare chest against his. She writhed against him as her mouth hungrily devoured him. Darcy was once again surprised to find his hands attempting to remove Elizabeth’s jeans without his knowledge. He stopped to look at her, his eyes questioning hers.
She undid her pants and pushed the remains of her clothes to the floor in response. Darcy shivered at the desire he found in her eyes and snatched her up again, not wanting to see anymore, only to feel.
Their mouths locked, he held her close with one hand while the other touched her breasts. They were full, her nipples tight and pointed. Moaning, he placed her on the nearby counter and lowered himself, so he could suckle at her sweet tit.
Elizabeth clutched his head to her as she leaned back, exposing herself. Darcy understood and his hand slid down to her sex. Elizabeth’s breath came in short bursts as he touched her, fulfilling the need that had been burning within her. She cried out, pushing herself against him as he penetrated her with one finger, then two, his thumb skillfully massaging her as she moaned softly against him. He was sucking on her nipple, making her dizzy with the pleasure that was quickly overpowering her. With a sudden gasp and a scream, she came against him, her body going limp against his.
“Oh God,” she panted.
Darcy stood up and stared down at her, his expression one of pleasure and satisfaction at what he was able to do for her. “You’re beautiful when you come.”
Elizabeth gazed at him, her breath passing through her tingling, swollen lips. She wanted more. She wanted him, and she let it show in her eyes.
Grasping the back of her skull in his large hand, he crushed her mouth to his, her hot body pressed against his.
“Not here,” she gasped between long, hot kisses. “I want to—” Words became simply too difficult and she gave up trying to speak.
In any case, Darcy had gotten her message and eased her off the counter and onto the couch. “Here?” he asked as he licked and nibbled her throat, making her tremble as he found the sensitive spot just below and behind her ear.
“Yes,” she breathed, her need becoming urgent. When he released her, she lay down on the couch, her hands behind her head as she stretched luxuriously, fully aware of the vision she was presenting him.
Darcy stared, his eyes dark with hunger. Unconsciously his tongue moistened his lips as he worked the tight-fitting pants off his hips.
Elizabeth opened her eyes, wondering what the delay was. “Don’t worry about that!” she urged him, one hand dropping to her sex and her fingers resting on the soft curls there.
All thought left Darcy’s mind; he climbed on the couch, carefully balancing on his knees, as his height would not allow him to lie down fully.
Elizabeth welcomed him eagerly, her legs splayed apart, one foot on the floor and another in the air. She pulled Darcy close, her lips on his, her arms and legs enfolding around him.
“Oh yes,” she moaned as he entered her at last. Wantonly, she lifted her hips to hold him as deeply as she could, her legs caressing the smooth leather that encased his. Darcy struggled to hold back, his body moving against his will, wanting only to find immediate release in her wet, lush depths. They became as one being, their motion having no origin or destination. He was not making love to her, nor she to him. They simply were. One creature, moving with one purpose and goal.
Darcy watched through haze-filled eyes as her hair shifted with each thrust, a living curtain surrounding her lovely face. Elizabeth lost herself in his eyes, eyes that were beyond seeing, only recording sensation after sensation. She felt herself grow larger, deeper, a vessel to be filled by him. Deeper and deeper he filled her, and yet she could hold more. She wanted to hold all of him, inside of her, forever.
The sweet pleasurable tension in her body rose and she found herself shaking all over as white electricity flooded her core and overrode the circuit of her nervous system. She heard screams and knew they were hers, but she couldn’t sense herself breathing. All she could do was feel, pulse by pulse, the indescribable pleasure that rocked her. She felt fire burn her inside and knew that he had joined her in bliss, a moment before he fell limply on top of her.
Giddy joy filled her. She tenderly wrapped her arms around him and gently kissed his temple as he caught his breath. She felt loved, empowered by her bond to him. They were beyond closeness; they were intimate: a word that now had new meaning for her. Goals, plans, and priorities had all shifted in a heartbeat. She took this new knowledge and understanding into her heart and cherished it closely as she let her lips lightly caress his face.
He came back to himself and pushed himself up on his elbows. She met him with a look of pure satisfaction that ought to have been illegal. It pleased him to know that he equally affected this amazing woman, who moved him so deeply. With a look of pure adoration, he kissed her lips, lightly nibbling on her sweet flesh.
He opened his mouth to speak when there was a loud banging on the door. “Darcy!” Caroline’s voice came to them from the hall. “Sorry to interrupt but there is this concert going on. You might want to finish it?”
Elizabeth giggled, her face blushing prettily.
Darcy kissed her lightly and began carefully getting up. “We’ll continue this later?”
Elizabeth nodded as she sat up and began looking for her clothes.
Darcy fastened his pants and, with a last quick kiss, exited the room. Caroline was waiting, looking very put upon.
“Sorry, Caro,” he mumbled uncomfortably as he moved toward the instrument area, unable to meet her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” she said, exasperated. “It’s not like I could hear you over the other two.”
Darcy looked at her in surprise, and then he noticed Charles coming over from the area of the dressing room, a distinctive smile on his face.
“Hey,” he greeted his band mates pleasantly. There was no doubt. Bingley had just been fucked well.
Darcy looked questioningly at Richard, who flashed him a look of disdain. “Not everyone behaves like rabbits in heat, you know.”
Charles laughed at this as he picked up his bass and had the sound tech rewire his mic. Darcy found his own sound equipment was gone and was trying to remember where it had come off when Elizabeth walked up with it.
When Darcy turned to the sound tech, he heard Elizabeth gasp and Charles burst out laughing.
“Oh man!” Charles exclaimed.
Darcy looked behind him to see Elizabeth covering her face with both hands. “What?”
“Will, you either have to put a shirt on or not turn your back to the audience.”
Richard’s eyes widened and he exclaimed, “Whoa, nice work, Lizzy.”
“Oh God,” Elizabeth moaned, mortified.
Charles could see Darcy was quickly becoming annoyed at not knowing what was going on. “Will, you have an impressive set of claw marks across your back,” he explained.
“I’m sorry.”
Darcy smiled and laughed at the absurdity of the situation. He put his hands on Elizabeth’s waist and kissed her lightly. “It’s okay. I’ll just be careful how I stand,” he assured her.
Elizabeth hid her face against his chest, then looked up and nodded. She kissed him for luck, placed his sunglasses on him, and stood back with Jane and Charlotte as the men left to go back onstage.
“Come on,” Charlotte directed, and they moved silently back to their place in front of the monitors where they could watch the show.
The guys were dead on that night, playing flawlessly and engaging the crowd between songs. Even Darcy was more animated than they had ever seen him. When they got to the point where they would normally play “It’s All a Joke,” he asked Charles, “You think we should play this?”
Charles paused a beat. “I don’t know. I think we should check with the bosses.”
The audience ate it up.
“You know,” Darcy continued, “I thought I was the boss.”
Charles grinned. “Well, you were. But you know, Jane…”
“Gives better head?” Richard piped in.
“Exactly.”
The house fell apart. Backstage Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Jane were doubled over laughing. A full minute passed before Darcy could continue, partially because the first time he tried to talk, he lost his control and started laughing himself, which set everyone else off again.
When he did regain control, he said, “Okay, let’s see what the bosses have to say.”
Jane caught her cue and she took a headset from Caroline. “Charles,” she drawled, her voice filling the stage.
“Your call, ladies,” Charles began. “Do we play it or pass?”
“We wouldn’t want to offend you,” Darcy added.
Elizabeth gave Jane a thumbs-up. “Oh, you are playing it.”
“You’re sure?”
“It’s your penance,” Jane added menacingly. “Don’t screw up.”
Richard laughed, “You boys are fuuuuucked!”
Laughter erupted again and Darcy nodded, careful not to turn his back. “I think you are right.”
Darcy began the riff to the song as Charles started singing to Jane. They didn’t screw up. They were electric and exciting and words that had once provoked such pain and hurt now were rendered harmless.
As the girls returned to their usual place before the monitors, Elizabeth asked, “Where’s Alex?” noticing him missing for the first time.
Jane’s face sobered and she looked at Charlotte. “He’s not here,” she said uneasily.
Elizabeth faced Charlotte. “What?” she asked.
“Lizzy, you’ve been through a lot today, maybe we should leave this for tomorrow.”
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
“Lizzy, Char’s right. We’re going to have a meeting with him tomorrow,” Jane said, her eyes full of affection. “Let it go for now.”
Elizabeth looked from Jane to Charlotte and nodded slowly, surprising herself with her ability to trust.
The three men stood together, as close as brothers, their long, lean bodies weary with exertion, shimmering with sweat in the bright stage lights, their long arms hanging at their sides, holding their instruments ready.
Charles talked to the audience with trust and ease, as though they were his best friends. When he called their names, Elizabeth, Jane, and Charlotte moved back onstage, crossing the line from invisibility to visibility. They took their positions near their lovers, to play the song they had all written together.
They decided to perform “The Game of Love” between sets, to celebrate the huge changes that had occurred among all of them and also as a statement of vindication. Elizabeth was free and cleared; Wickham would never trouble them again. That alone was worthy of being acknowledged, and they had no better way than with their music.
The audience roared as Elizabeth playfully took Darcy’s dark glasses and put them on, winning a bright smile from him. Jane took Charles’s place at center stage, as he stood nearby, and Richard and Charlotte arranged themselves behind a huge percussion display. A look was passed around them, silently communicating, and with Charlotte’s cymbal, they were off.
Darcy played for Elizabeth, as he had the last time. The difference was that she was now receptive to him and was in fact playing back to him. The song was like a duet of the two guitars, electric and acoustic, their voices dancing around each other, even as Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s bodies circled each other.
Elizabeth started singing with Jane, encouraging Darcy to serenade her, which he did, manfully playing to the two sisters as Charles played his bass on their other side. Richard and Charlotte were easily performing their own dance, moving with perfect timing across their instruments, sharing a smile and wink.
The song ended too quickly, yet they were pleased with their performance. They had given something special of themselves to the audience, who thanked them with wild cheering and applause. It was clear to everyone in the crowd that this was much more than two bands simply playing together. This was in fact one entity, a being with six faces.
Later, after the show and back at the loft, Elizabeth picked up her carton of take-out and her chopsticks and followed Darcy to the bed. She was emotionally exhausted, but her body was still fairly awake. She figured she needed Darcy and bed, in that order.
Darcy was already stretched out on the bed, wearing his black T-shirt and gray shorts, looking delightfully comfy. Elizabeth took off her pants, her shoes long ago discarded, and settled down next to him. They ate, sharing each other’s food and talking lightly of the performance.
Shyly, Darcy asked, “You liked your song?”
Elizabeth felt like her face would split, she smiled so hard. “I loved it. Couldn’t you tell?”
“Well…” he blushed.
Elizabeth put her food down and reached for him, cuddling close. “I couldn’t believe you sang for me.”
“I would do anything for you,” he told her earnestly. “I wanted everyone to know that I love you, completely and unconditionally.” He stopped and took her hand and kissed it. “You have changed me, and I’ll always be grateful.”
Elizabeth looked into his eyes, seeing more there than words could ever say. “You changed me too, you know.”
“Did I? I hadn’t noticed. I was too busy discovering how wonderful you are.”
Elizabeth blushed at his flattery and lifted her lips to his. He kissed her adoringly, pressing close to her and feeling their legs tangle together. He released her lips to kiss her neck, and she tilted her head absently, her body roiling with sensations while her mind was in a distant place. “Are we going to be okay?” she asked.
“We’re going to be fine,” he told her, his voice certain, even though he didn’t fully understand her question.
“What’s going to happen?” she asked, her eyes troubled. Feelings of uncertainty born during her incarceration came back, demanding to be answered.
Darcy didn’t understand what prompted her fears, but he perceived them clearly. “We are going to be together, you and me. We’re going to finish out this tour, and then we’ll do whatever we want to, but,” he gripped her hand tightly, “we will do it together.”
She closed her eyes. “Hold me,” she pleaded.
Darcy pulled her close, cradling her. “Darling, didn’t you hear my song? That was for you. I love you, and I always will.”
“I know,” she whispered, “and I love you. But… what if we are separated? We are both rock stars now and that’s not a very good career track for a relationship.”
“Then screw the careers,” he told her fiercely. “If it’s a question of Slurry or you, I pick you. I don’t need to be a rock star. Hell, I don’t ever need to work a day again. But I do need you. I found that out last night.” He stopped, his eyes downcast. “Lizzy, I love you, and I don’t care if rock star marriages don’t work. If the rules don’t work for me, I change them, and you and I are going to work.” His eyes were burning into hers as he finished.
“Marriage?” Elizabeth gasped.
Darcy’s mouth fell open and for a heartbeat he was back at the disastrous morning a month ago. He searched Elizabeth’s eyes for a sign of what she was feeling, and then gathering his courage, he spoke. “Elizabeth Bennet, will you please marry me?”
Elizabeth trembled, shocked and speechless. She looked at him questioningly.
“I know,” he said in a calmer voice. “It hasn’t been very long for us, has it? But I’ve loved you for so long, I can’t even tell you when I started. And I know you, Elizabeth. I’ve seen you when you are angry, and tired, and bitchy. I’ve known you when you are sad and upset, and I’ve known you when you are so happy you literally dance on your feet with joy. I’ve seen you in every way, and I love you. I know that I don’t want to miss a moment of you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you being happy and sad and grumpy because you haven’t gotten your coffee yet.” He smiled then turned serious again. “Please, Elizabeth. I know you love me, and I can’t see living my life without you. Please say yes.”
Elizabeth felt her emotions tossed like a tiny boat on the ocean with his words, but in the end, she knew he was right. She did love him and wanted nothing more than to be with him, and she knew he felt the same. It didn’t matter to her whether they married or not, but it clearly did to him, and suddenly the answer was easy. “Yes, my love, yes.”
He crushed her to him, kissing her like he could never get enough. Elizabeth responded, feeling unexpectedly happy and comforted in his embrace. They made love, slowly and gently, reaffirming their feelings for each other throughout the night, until exhaustion claimed them.
Tuesday morning found them back at JFK Airport, the same place they had left from four months ago. The plane was different; instead of the De Bourgh corporate jet, they had a chartered airliner, and instead of watching Darcy arrive, she sat beside him in their limo. Despite the familiarity of having done this before, Elizabeth was struck by a powerful sense of distance as she climbed the steps to the plane, a pair of sunglasses on her face, her guitars in her hands. She had changed so much and become a new person in so many ways. Gone were the nervous uncertainty and the forceful need to prove herself. Elizabeth walked with a confidence that came from knowing who she was and what her strengths were.
Darcy was right behind her, and this time she did not hesitate to move to the front of the plane. Instead of a group of strangers onboard, Elizabeth was happy to find that she knew almost everyone there. She smiled as people called out greetings to her, and surprisingly, to Darcy as well. As she waved, Elizabeth felt the sense of responsibility for them that Darcy had told her about so long ago. But she didn’t find it overwhelming. She knew that they all wanted to be there, to share in their journey and go wherever it might take them.
She passed Richard and Charlotte, who were relaxing with a pair of PSPs plugged into each other. By some rare miracle, Charles and Jane had arrived on time and were holding each other’s hands in preparation for takeoff. Elizabeth said good morning and took her seat next to Darcy. As the plane started moving, he laced his fingers with hers and they shared a tender kiss, the light in his eyes telling her how happy he was.
“Are you ready?” he asked, his voice as always soft and strong.
Elizabeth smiled at the question. She was ready for whatever was next. “Let’s go,” she answered him, as the plane took off.