Assumed Engagement (34 page)

Elizabeth
blushed and found herself at a loss for words.

Darcy pulled her up against his chest, and quipped, "Perhaps you thought she was referring to breakfast at
Netherfield
? It is quite an experience!" He held her close for a few minutes,
Elizabeth
drowning in the strength of his chest and his manly scent and smiling at his little display of humour.

"So what do you say about marrying in three weeks?" he asked in her ear.

"Just three weeks?"

"Is that too soon for you?"

"No, not for me. But to plan a wedding, I do not know."

"It does not have to be elaborate. Jane and Charles' wedding was simple, yet very nice."

"Yes, really all I would need to have made was my dress. We could use much of the same things from Jane and Charles' wedding."

"Anything would make me happy. I think now,
Lizbeth
, that all that is left is for me to go talk with your father."

"And we can only hope that you can get in to see him without my mother noticing. I really would prefer to tell her after you have left."

"I thought you were convinced that I could handle your mother."

"Not when she becomes totally irrational and incoherent. And that is only when something good has happened."

"To be honest, when I met your father outside when I arrived, I asked him if I could meet with him when I returned from walking with you. He said he would watch for me and meet me outside."

"I am of the opinion that the two of you think alike!"

They turned to walk arm in arm back to the house. "
Lizbeth
, after I talk with your father and we settle the date, I will need to return to
Pemberley
for a short while."

Upon hearing these words,
Elizabeth
sighed. He continued, "I have a project I am working on that needs some immediate attention. I cannot stay on at
Netherfield
with Bingley away and his sisters there. Georgiana will stay and looks forward to visiting with you."

"I shall miss you, Will."

How those words touched his heart. "I shall miss you, too,
Lizbeth
. But, I shall have a little token of yours to keep close to my heart." He reached in his pocket and pulled out her handkerchief. "Unless you demand it back, again."

"No, you may keep it," she laughed.

"Earlier, when we talked of Georgiana and her journal…I have a confession to make regarding that."

"Please do not tell me you sneak in and read what she has written!"

"No, nothing like that. I began keeping one also."
Elizabeth
's eyes widened. "I do not use it for the same purposes as Georgiana, but it has helped me to see things in a different light, to make goals and take steps to reach those goals; to improve myself."

"I am impressed."

He turned and brought her chin up to look at him. "You do not know how much of everything that has transpired these last two months are a direct result of you. When Georgiana first told me you were at
Pemberley
when I awoke after my accident, I was still confused and hurt; my pride was completely destroyed. But I still loved you and that love moved me in ways I would never have imagined. And with all that you did for Georgiana, she, in turn, did for me, in opening my eyes to things." He leaned over and gently kissed her. "My dearest and most wonderful,
Lizbeth
!" 

* The prayer is actually a prayer of Jane Austen's. Her father was a clergyman, and this was a prayer she wrote. I changed just a few of the words to make it appropriate for the setting in the story.

Epilogue

T
he two weeks went by quickly for
Elizabeth
as plans were quickly made for the wedding. She longed to see Darcy again, but was grateful to keep busy. She had immediately gone to see
Charlotte
after Darcy departed and told her that it would be best if she did not return to
Hunsford
with her husband, as things would only get worse with Lady Catherine once she heard of their upcoming marriage.
Charlotte
made an excuse to her husband that she would like to stay an additional three weeks, and sent him on his way. She agreed that if she had returned with him, he would most likely forbid her to return to attend their wedding if Lady Catherine forbade it.

When Jane and Charles returned,
Elizabeth
was grateful to have her support and help deflect her mother's excitable behaviour. She was most anxious for Darcy to return, and eagerly greeted him on Monday, the week of the wedding.

Plans went along smoothly and each day crept slowly toward the anticipated day. The last week had the added stress of final preparations, and Mrs.
Bennet
felt it severely. The Gardiners returned Wednesday, which helped
Elizabeth
in dealing with her mother.

Darcy had written to his relations, including Lady Catherine, but he did not hear back from her. He only assumed she would refuse to attend the wedding, sending a very loud statement to him of her disapproval. He was sent words of congratulations from Colonel Fitzwilliam's family, and he was grateful they were all able to take the time to come to the wedding.

There were two things that Darcy insisted on taking care of for the wedding. One was the flowers. When
Elizabeth
first walked into the church on her wedding day, the number of flowers and the scent that permeated the whole room overwhelmed her. He had ordered gardenias from all over the country and even from the continent. There were some that were still potted, others cut and in arrangements, and still elsewhere there were loose petals around.

The other thing he insisted on was where they would spend their first night. He was not about to spend it at
Netherfield
. He made arrangements at a nearby inn that had small separate bungalows. He picked out one in particular overlooking a small lake. From there they would travel across to the continent to
France
and visit places
Elizabeth
had only read about.

The day before the wedding,
Elizabeth
felt deluged with plans, decisions, details, and her mother. Darcy unexpectedly came by in the middle of the afternoon and asked if they could go out for one of their walks. They both knew where they would go and soon were up at
Oakham
Mount.

Darcy pulled out a package and presented it to her. "What is this?" she asked.

"It is my wedding gift to you."

"My wedding gift? You want me to open it now?"

"Yes, right now."

She slowly opened the box and first pulled out a folded handkerchief. She unfolded it, and found it to be very similar to her other one, but lacked the embroidered initials and flowers. "This must be to replace my other one?"

"Yes. But you will notice this one is missing something."

"Yes, my initials!"

"And what are your initials?"

"EB
! You know that!"

"And what will they be tomorrow?"

Suddenly her eyes lit up. "
ED,
"
she said with a beaming smile.

"So it seems that you would need to embroider another one with your new initials."

"That was very sweet of you."

"There's something else in there."

She looked in the box, moving paper aside, and found a bottle. She pulled it out and looked at it. "Perfume!"

"Gardenia scent perfume."

"I have never had real perfume before."

"Well, then, there is something you must know." He took the bottle from her and opened it. Taking his ring finger, he put a drop of perfume on it and brought it up to her neck, lightly drawing it down. "You only need a little bit, and it will last a long time." He put another drop on, and brought it to her wrist. Putting the bottle down, he then nestled his head against her neck, breathing in the tantalizing scent.

"
Lizbeth
, you are, indeed, the fragrance of my life. I love you so much!"

Elizabeth
wrapped her arms around him, answering, "I love you, too, Will. I love you too!"

The Wedding Day

Fitzwilliam Darcy stood at the front of the church, his mind giddy, his body restless, and his impatience displaying itself in more than one visible way. He shifted his weight from one foot to another; his hands either tightly gripped together or when separated, he rubbed his fingers raw. His breaths were deep, yet controlled. Despite all these things, his eyes remained set on the centre aisle at the back of the church, waiting for his first glimpse of the woman for whom he had so longingly, and for such a long time, awaited.

The church was full, but he could not bring himself to look out at the guests. To know that every eye was upon him was disconcerting. He knew that once his bride, Elizabeth
Bennet
, came up the aisle to join him at his side, she would garner everyone’s notice and he could be more at ease, at least in that regard.

His younger sister, Georgiana, was seated in the front with his cousin, Col. Richard Fitzwilliam, and his family. He knew the
Bennet
family was in attendance to his right -- the three younger sisters and Mrs.
Bennet
. Charles was standing up for him; presently at his side. Jane was to stand up for
Elizabeth
.

Darcy inhaled the fragrance of the gardenias that filled the church. With the flower and fragrance being the favourite of both his mother and his beloved Elizabeth, he could have no other.

Darcy had grown oblivious to the music playing in the background, but suddenly it changed and he realized the moment was drawing near. He saw Jane Bingley step out into the centre aisle and begin her procession up to the front. Next to him, he heard the intake of breath from Charles and he knew, without glancing over at him, that a grin from ear to ear was most likely deeply embedded upon his friend’s face.

Darcy took in some deliberate, deep breaths as he knew the moment was imminent. The sun was shining in through the back door and he was able to see two figures emerge. His heart pounded incessantly as he waited for his first glimpse of her. They were somewhat shadowed by the glare of the sun, but suddenly, as they took their initial steps inside the door, the white of
Elizabeth
's dress took on an ethereal glow and everything else around her disappeared.

Darcy gazed upon her as though she were the only other person in the church. She radiated with love and beauty. He had always been intoxicated by her beauty, but he was certain she had never looked more beautiful than she did this day.

As she slowly came toward him, escorted by her father, Darcy had to resist the urge to bridge the gap between them by striding out to meet her.  He forced himself to wait patiently for her, as he continually had to learn to do since first becoming acquainted with her. But now his patience would pay off, in that within the next hour, she would become Mrs. Fitzwilliam Richard Darcy.

As Mr.
Bennet
handed his favourite daughter to the man who would be her husband, he leaned over and gave her a kiss. His heart was swelling with love and admiration for her and respect and esteem for his soon to be son-in-law. He could not ask for a finer man to marry his
Lizzy
, although he had not always held such favourable thoughts toward him.

Darcy reached out for his
Elizabeth
's arm and she smiled at him; a smile that seemed to reach to the depths of her. He returned one back in her direction as they turned to face Reverend
Burbridge
, who was to marry them. As
Elizabeth
took Darcy's arm, she treasured in her heart the fact that this man was soon to be her husband. Darcy was dizzy with rapture as the woman who had so captured his heart was finally to be his.

The End!