“Mrs Cooper,” the colonel reminded her, quite certain that his aunt had not retained the name.
“Mrs?” cried again Lady Catherine, obviously annoyed yet again.
“Yes, Lady Catherine, I am a widow and have two children—”
“And a lady of considerable fortune, possessing ten thousand pounds a year,” said Darcy.
Elizabeth turned towards him in surprise, for it seemed that her future husband had become the patriarch of the family and, in that role, protected all its members, whether near or distant. Darcy caught her eye, smiled mischievously, and lifted his shoulders with easy unconcern.
∞∞∞
“So my fiancée is malicious and vindictive,” said Darcy as he led her towards a part of the park where they had met several times before, whilst the colonel and Mrs Cooper walked off in the opposite direction.
“Yes,” replied Elizabeth with perfect impertinence.
“It is well to know it. I shall take care to keep out of your way whenever I offend you.”
“With you, the situation is different.”
“Different?”
Darcy was exceedingly curious, but for the moment, he was occupied with drawing Elizabeth towards a secluded side of the house where, hidden by several venerable trees, he could finally kiss her. It was all he had wished to do that day, and at last he was able to do it.
Her lips, which only a few days before had received their first kiss, were already eager and entirely willing to follow him wherever love might lead them. Their kisses were always a trap from which neither wished to escape, and only the sound of a distant carriage persuaded them to part their lips, though not their embrace.
“You have become rather accomplished at kissing,” he teased somewhere near her ear. The touch more than the words made her stir lightly in his arms.
“Rather? Not very?” she murmured, though she would much have preferred another kiss.
“For very, we must continue our studies,” he replied gravely.
Elizabeth readily agreed, for any plan involving embraces filled her with delight.
“What schemes have you devised now, Mrs Collins?” he asked when they resumed their walk.
“Perhaps,” said Elizabeth.
“But we have gone in entirely the wrong direction,” he replied, glancing towards the Parsonage.
“When kissing is required, all other plans become somewhat less important.”
He immediately drew her into his arms once more, though they were no longer concealed by the trees. Such sentiments deserved to be celebrated.
“Why did we truly come here, Elizabeth?” he asked. “Neither Lady Catherine nor Mr and Mrs Collins are sufficient reasons for such a journey.”
Elizabeth rested her head lightly upon his shoulder. He smiled, already knowing that she was about to confide something sweet and secret to him.
“I wished our love to banish every memory of Kent. I shall marry you, Fitzwilliam Darcy, with all my love and confidence. I wanted this to be the beginning of Kent for us.”
“Then we ought to visit the Parsonage,” he replied playfully.
She tightened her hold upon his arm.
“We are both staying at Rosings now. It is enough that we decide upon our marriage here…it is still Kent.”
Epilogue
Mrs Bennet rose from her place at the head of the table and looked around at her family gathered in the dining room.