A Required Engagement #3 Read online

  He'd gotten so very close to her as he'd spoken, and Elizabeth felt her body heat up at his nearness. Her aunt had wandered off, to look about the common room of the inn, leaving them in relative privacy.

  "Mr. Darcy," she whispered.

  "Miss Elizabeth," he teased, and then, in an act of boldness she would never have accepted had he not been the other half of her heart, he leaned down and kissed her. It was a soft, sweet, gentle thing, barely more than a whisper of a touch, but immediately she hungered for more. He was good enough to pull away, still with his hand in her curls, but far enough so that she felt she could breathe and not faint. "Miss Elizabeth, I find myself enchanted with you more and more with each passing moment," he murmured, his voice barely a soft purr.

  "I must confess, Mr. Darcy, that the feeling is truly mutual," she replied. He smiled, and then bent down, his lips claiming hers once more.

  Her pulse was beating in her throat, and she had to reach to grab the front of his jacket in order to steady herself.

  So this is what a swoon feels like, she mused as her eyes shut and she shivered in his embrace. When he pulled away, his breathing was short and sharp.

  "You are too tempting, and I must stay away, at least a few feet, to prevent myself from sullying your honor and your reputation," he said, sounding ragged. She likewise, felt wrung out, and merely nodded in response, not certain she would have been able to form the proper words even if she had wanted to. At that moment, she did not wish to speak at all, but instead engage in more of those sweet embraces. Having Mr. Darcy hold her was perhaps the most tender and wonderful thing she had ever experienced. But even in Gretna Green there were rules to be observed, and basic social etiquette to be followed.

  He led her over to a seating area, and they took their rest there for the time until Mrs. Gardiner returned. She arrived in a flush of breath, eyes wide and excited.

  "They've come!" she exclaimed. Mr. Darcy clambered to his feet, and Elizabeth followed shortly after that. Behind Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth could see her sister.

  She cried out, and forgetting herself entirely, she raced across the room, throwing herself at Jane. Thankfully Jane caught her with a laugh, wrapping her arms around Elizabeth tightly and embracing her back.

  "Elizabeth," she said, "you're here!"

  "Yes, yes, I am, and oh Jane, i am so happy for you, I could never imagine being so happy in all my life, but I am, oh Jane, I am," Elizabeth babbled at her sister, and then turned to Mr. Bingley who stood behind her with an amused expression on his face. "I suppose I am to call you brother now," she said. Mr. Bingley's lips spread into a happy smile and he nodded, relief suffused in his features.

  Had he been worried he would not be well received.

  "That would please me, very greatly," he said.

  "Then you must call me your sister, for I am, am I not?"

  "Yes, yes you are, Miss... I mean, Elizabeth," he said with a nod of his head to her.

  "Charles," she replied, curtseying ever so slightly, and then she approached him. His arms came up and wrapped around her, and she felt the bitter sting of tears in her eyes as her brother, her very first brother, hugged her tightly.

  "This is the second most important thing I had dreamt of," Mr. Bingley, Charles, whispered to her as they parted, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Firstly, that my Jane should consent to be Mrs. Bingley, and then secondly, that you should welcome me as a brother, with open arms."

  "I could never deny you," Elizabeth replied, then looked at Jane, who fairly radiated with contentment. "Not when Jane looks so happy, the likes of which I've never seen."

  Mr. Darcy cleared his throat to alert them of his presence as he approached them, and for one moment Elizabeth worried he would play his little trick on Mr. Bingley, but then he laughed, a roar of a sound, and swept Mr. Bingley up into his arms. There was much back-pounding, and Elizabeth had to giggle at the sight of it, because it was so unlike Mr. Darcy to be so very free. Perhaps it was the air in Scotland, but he seemed like a man who had found his release, and was grabbing it with both hands, never to let it be stolen from him again.

  Jane was smiling once more, and then in tears as Mr. Darcy bowed to her and clasped her hand tightly, wishing her the very best in her future life, and that he hoped that she and Mr. Bingley would come visit him as soon as they might be able to.

  A dark shadow crossed Jane's face at the mention of Pemberley, but she quickly recovered, although Elizabeth wondered how the elder Mr. Darcy would feel about Mr. and Mrs. Bingley paying him a visit on his estate. Her Darcy, which was how she was beginning to think of him, did not mention it, but she wondered if it weighed on him.

  Mrs. Gardiner came up then, stopping all mentions of trips to Pemberley, and there were more tears as she embraced Jane and wished her every congratulation.

  This is all I desire, thought Elizabeth, my sister happy, a life with my family, and my Mr. Darcy, close by my side.

  She caught Mr. Darcy then, looking at her, a soft smile on his face, and she thought that perhaps it was all he desired as well.

  Chapter 6

  Fitzwilliam Darcy

  Gretna Green, Scotland

  * * *

  Mr. Darcy decided there was nothing for it but to celebrate his friend's wedding to the woman that might very soon become Darcy's sister. He did not wish to intrude on Mr. Bingley's happiness however, and knowing that the new couple would be making the most of these first, precious days together as newlyweds, he planned a series of outings for the next few days for himself, Elizabeth, and Mrs. Gardiner. They quickly fell into a pattern of taking in the Scottish countryside, with luncheons packed for them by the inn, then returning for the evening and having dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Bingley. While he knew that outside of Gretna Green, the damning reality of his situation was quickly coming to catch him, he did not care. After a particularly lovely day of picking flowers and putting them into Elizabeth's hair, watching her face turn pink with happiness while she laughed and claimed the stems tickled her skin, he decided that it was best he send an express to his father. Setting down to write the letter was perhaps the hardest task he had ever accomplished in his life, although when he was done he was pleased with it. He was certain, in the glow of being with friends and soon-to-be-family, that his father would see reason and not decide to cut him. The worst of the rumors about the younger Mr. Darcy would be solved by him marrying period, and it did not matter so much who he married, but only that he did actually marry.

  Which he was going to do, as soon as he could find a ring in Gretna Green that was worthy of Miss Elizabeth, he would ask her to be his.

  That required more expresses to be sent, however, so he wrote to Mr. Bennet, explaining that he had failed to stop the wedding between Jane and Mr. Bingley, but that the new couple were very happy, and by the way, would he mind ever-so-much giving his blessing to Mr. Darcy as he intended to ask for Miss Elizabeth's hand in marriage?

  He had no doubt that Mr. Bennet would agree. Next was an express to his sister, that he hoped she was well, and that her studies were progressing at the pianoforte, and that he wished to tell her the excellent news that soon he would be wed, and if at all possible, he would like to see her attend.

  The final express was penned to Colonel Fitzwilliam, requesting his presence to stand up for Mr. Darcy at a soon-to-be-announced wedding. That would get the other man excited. Richard, as Mr. Darcy recalled based on previous events, was rather fond of weddings in general. Although whether that was due to celebrating the happiness of the couple, or indulging in the food and drinks such events brought, Darcy did not know.

  Once he was done with his letters, he packed away his secretary and decided that it was best he walk about Gretna Green, to look in the shops and see if he might find something for Elizabeth. His searched proved fruitless, although he did find a nice charming little bracelet he thought Georgiana would like, and a pair of pearl-bedecked hair-combs that would be a lovely gift for the new Mrs. Bingley, on accoun
t of her wedding. It was not often he could take time to himself to just relax and amble, and he took much pleasure in selecting a few trinkets for the people in his life he held most dearly. There would need to be a gift for Mrs. Bennet, he realized, and Mr. Bennet as well, on account of his marrying their daughter should Mr. Bennet give his consent.

  While Mr. Darcy was in Gretna Green with the woman he loved the most, he did not want to ask her to forgo a proper, full wedding.

  This, despite the fact they were becoming increasingly close, and it was becoming much more difficult to remain apart from her. He asked Mr. Bingley what had assisted him in resisting Mrs. Bingley, but the other man had just laughed.

  "What makes you think I could resist her?" he asked, and then leaned in. "I do not mean that I took liberties with her, no. I did not wish to malign her in any way or have her think me such a brute as to behave improperly, but Darcy, it must be something about the Bennet girls that makes them charming to a fault, even when they have every odd stacked against their favor in the game of marriage. I could not resist her, and could not be apart from her any longer. I admire your fortitude, being able to not ask Miss Elizabeth down to the anvil this very afternoon."

  Mr. Darcy tried not to tell Mr. Bingley right then that he would've been more than happy to take Elizabeth to the anvil, but he wanted to do right by her. Not to say that Mr. Bingley had not done right by Jane... his thoughts were a tangle, and he was grateful he had not spoken them aloud, for he did not wish his friend to think that Mr. Darcy looked down upon him.

  No, Mr. Bingley had done what he needed to do in order to have the love of his life. Mr. Darcy would not do anything less for the same reasons.

  Chapter 7

  Elizabeth Bennet

  Gretna Green, Scotland

  * * *

  Elizabeth felt that she had barely seen her sister since coming to Gretna Green, but she did not resent her for it, since the other woman was enjoying her newly-married life and looked so happy that Elizabeth could find no fault with her. Even still, it pleased her to see Jane descend in the inn one morning, dressed in a pretty gown of sturdy muslin, and basket slung over one forearm.

  "Sister-mine," she said, a pleased smile on her face, "it is my duty to inform you that our gentlemen will spend the day shooting, and we should think to find other ways to entertain ourselves. Do you have a desire to go on a picnic luncheon with myself and Aunt Gardiner? I have already spoken with her and she is quite agreeable to the idea," Jane said, sitting down at the breakfast table with a happy sigh.

  The thought of getting to spend a few hours with her sister was a very pleasing one indeed, and Elizabeth had just purchased a very lovely little volume of Scottish poetry from the local bookshop. It would the perfect addition to such a trip, enjoying the out of doors and reading aloud to both of her closest female relatives, for indeed during their little journey north, Elizabeth had become ever closer to Mrs. Gardiner.

  "A better plan I should not hope to have devised, Jane, but what is in the basket?" she asked, curious.

  "Oh, I already presumed your answer would be yes, so I had the cook pack us a luncheon already, along with a little blanket to sit upon. Your dress should do quite nicely for the outing, that blue looks so very handsome on you," Jane complemented Elizabeth and reached over to finger the sturdy linen. "I am ever so fond of linen, although it wrinkles just as soon as you look at it. Muslin is lovely in its own way, but linen becomes unspeakably soft with age that it's like seeing an old friend when you put the gown on."

  Elizabeth stared at her sister for a moment and then burst into laughter.

  "You have become utterly poetic since marrying Mr. Bingley, Jane," she observed with amusement. "Has he been reading verse to you late at night?"

  Jane blushed suddenly, and did not answer, instead took a sweet bun for herself from the breakfast food that was laid out on platters, and bit into it. Elizabeth could not help but smirk at her sister, but did not tease her more. It would have been a great unkindness, and she did not wish to hurt Jane's feelings.

  * * *

  A short time later they found themselves walking around the base of Carlisle Castle, the wind tugging at their bonnets so stubbornly they'd needed to retie them several times. Mrs. Gardiner stared up the grand edifice, and then remarked,

  "They say it's built upon Hadrian's wall. What a thought, that." She glanced at the two girls, and Elizabeth pulled out the small pamphlet she'd also purchased at the bookshop, a sort of guide to the local sights one might see. Gretna Green was a first-rate stop for young couples wishing to be wed, and it seemed apparent that the local industry had taken note of that and had made sure that all the local attractions were highlighted for visitors. Perhaps it was no Bath, with spas everywhere, and ways for an indulgent vacationer to relax in the heat and wet, but Gretna Green had it's own windswept, rugged appeal that Elizabeth rather liked.

  It was romantic and wild, just like her Mr. Darcy. Thinking of him as hers caused a blush to rise to her cheeks, so she turned and began walking up a steep hill to have some excuse for the redness. Jane followed her up, and then with a happy sigh, put her hands on her hips.

  "I think this should do, for our little picnic, don't you?" Jane turned to look at where Mrs. Gardiner was slowly making her way up the hill to join them.

  "My word, this hill is quite grand," Mrs. Gardiner puffed, out of breath. "Are we to dine here? I should faint from the beautiful sights." Elizabeth and Jane exchanged an amused look, but neither one spoke what they were thinking: that their aunt was more likely to faint from the exercise than the views.

  "Yes, Aunt, I think this is a handsome little spot, and look, the sun is breaking through the clouds," Jane said, pointing off into the distance. A spear of light had pierced the overcast sky, and Elizabeth hoped that it would slide towards them. Her pelisse was warm, but there was nothing like the pouring sunlight to warm a body.

  Jane unpacked the basket, flicking open a blanket for them to rest upon, and then they all made themselves comfortable.

  The food of the day were chubby little hand pastries, the crimped edges firm, the rest of the dough buttery and soft when bit into. Elizabeth tried not to be indecent and moan at the taste, for it had been some time since she'd enjoyed such a meal. It was simple, pastoral, but perfect.

  "I think, were I to die with such a pastry in my hand, I should die happy," she declared aloud, much to her aunt's dismay.

  "Elizabeth! To think, such talk! Do not go ill-wishing yourself into an early grave by saying things like that," their aunt said, before turning to Jane. "Jane, tell your sister to be cautious in her speech."

  "I have long ago given up any hope of getting Lizzy to moderate her speech, Aunt, and while altogether shocking, she is not wrong. These pastries are some of the finest I've eaten, do you not agree?" Jane patted her belly through her skirt and sighed. "I think I will begin to strain my skirts if we remain in Gretna Green for too long, but Mr. Bingley is hesitant to return home due to the elder Mr. Darcy, the cruel old man."

  "I've never heard you speak so ill of someone, Jane," Elizabeth said, leaning over to filch another pastry from the basket. She took a heart bite and swallowed, before turning to her sister again. "Might it be true that being married has given you greater cause to speak out against those who might wish you ill?"

  "It is not so much that being married is the cause of it," Jane mused, "but rather that I have someone who I desperately wish to protect in every sense of the matter, although I cannot tell you why I would be so impassioned, or so foolish as to think that Mr. Bingley would require me to protect him."

  "Ah, wait until you have little babes in your arms, and at your feet," Mrs. Gardiner said sagely, "such feelings only grow. And men have need of their women to protect them, for they are so very full of emotion and so often bereft of the right to feel those things. A man has need of his wife to cry for him when he may not, and to be weak for him when he must be strong. She must tremble when he would but c
annot. There are more ways that a marriage is a partnership, than just the finances and the production of heirs, my doves."

  The thought of producing heirs for Mr. Darcy suddenly popped into Elizabeth's mind, and she was regretful that she was not able to climb another hill and claim that was the reason of her sudden blush. She pushed the thought of anything to do with Mr. Darcy and the marriage bed out of her mind, and set about demolishing yet a third pastry.

  When Jane gave her a funny look she smiled.

  "I've worked up quite the appetite, I suppose," she said with a smile and Jane laughed, shaking her head.

  They finished off their repast, and to Elizabeth's joy, the sun did break through the clouds, pouring over the landscape and heading towards them. Just as it hit her face, she heard a far off call.

  She'd been just about to close her eyes and lay back in the sun, in order to better soak it up and enjoy its warm embrace, but the sound of the call was familiar to her and she drew one hand up above her brow to shade her eyes so she might see the caller.

  Or in this case, two callers. Two gentlemen in black afternoon coats were striding up the hill with determination. It was Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley.

  Immediately she brushed the crumbs from her dress and sat up, her heart pounding.

  "Is my bonnet straight?" she asked Jane quietly as the two men approached them. She felt a nervous flutter in her belly that made no sense, and she shifted apprehensively on the blanket.

  "You look beautiful, Elizabeth, and even if you did not, his eyes are so aglow with love that he would not notice it," Jane replied and Elizabeth had to smile at her sister's kindness.