Mrs Darcy (Complete)

Chapter 5

I dressed for dinner with Annabelle in our room and we prepared to go downstairs at Pemberley. The sun was setting outside the glorious windows and cast a lovely amber glow about the halls and portraits which coated the entire house. I met my mother in the middle of the staircase as she was speaking with the elder Mr Darcy, but didn't make any attempt to speak to either of them, my mind being focused on something different.

The sun wasn't quite setting yet as I peered out of the windows on my way down the stairs. But the view of the lake beyond the thin line of trees was a beautiful sight and it reminded me of my meeting with Fitzwilliam and our agreement. "Eve, dear, the dining hall is this way. Eve?" heard my mother calling out after me as I completely ignored everyone and everything and exited the main part of the building through an open set of French doors at the bottom of the stairs.

I made my way calmly across the small open field toward the thin line of trees and where a small gap was visible as was the lake beyond. There, I found a small blanket on the leaf covered ground and a small basket of yellow daffodils. My eyebrows furrowed as I slowly approached it and suddenly a twig snapped behind me, forcing me to take out the blade strapped to my thigh and spin around. "Woah!" Fitzwilliam cried, surprised at my action against him.

I was relieved to see it was him and broke out into a smile. "Mr Darcy" I said and curtsied formally. "I almost killed you" I added.

"I could see that you were fully prepared to" Fitz replied to me, indicating the dagger still in my left hand. "I fear I must worry for my life sometimes, Miss Baasch" He smiled.

I turned and pointed to the basket of flowers. "Daffodils!" I said happily, Ashe came up to stand beside me.

"I knew they were your favourite. Now come, sit with me"  He offered my his hand and I took it before he gently pulled me underneath the tree the blanket was spread beneath and we sat together. "I've asked the physician to be sure of your absolute health regarding your accident at Rosings. He assures me you are fine" He looked down, troubled.

"What is it?" I questioned and took his hand for comfort.

"There are some words which have been troubling me these past few years, Miss Baasch. Every time I have seen the physician, he claims it all to be in my head" His hand gripped mine a little tighter and he sat up onto his knees beside me and picked up a single yellow daffodil from the small wicker basket. "I am in love with you, Miss Baasch" He told me, gazing into my eyes as though his life was ending.

My heart stopped and my mouth slowly opened as my breath hitched in my throat. "What?" I breathed, not believing what he just said.

"I love you" He said and offered the flower to me.

"Mr Darcy, I don't know what to say..." I began, thinking of things as I went along. "You and I have been friends for a long time and my feelings have always been the same" I said as I took the flower from his hands and held it in with own trembling fingers. I looked down as I collected my breath. "I have loved you since the day we first met seven years ago" I told him and looked straight into his eyes as the light glow of the sunset illuminated his face.

He seemed to smile in a way that I had never seen him smile before, as though his only trouble in this world was that time could not stand still. He kept my hands connected with his and entwined our fingers as he moved one knee up, making me gasp with surprise and excitement. "I've spoken you your father, and he has said that he will hunt me down with my own hunting rifle if I am not worthy of your love" Fitzwilliam said, still smiling. "Eve Baasch, will you do me the greatest honour of making me your husband?" He asked me and presented a thin gold ring.

I gasped as I saw the pearl in the centre. That was my favourite stone. "Oh, Mr Darcy..." I breathed, still in shock. "I don't know what to say" I put my hand on my chest and felt my insanely quick heart beating.

"Say yes and make me the happiest man alive" He said.

"Yes!" I beamed and held out my left hand. He slid the ring easily onto my fourth finger and stood up as I admired the pearl on my finger. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he stretched his arms around my back and hugged me tightly. After a few seconds, we pulled apart and he pressed his lips against mine, causing sparks of fire to curse through my body and light the dampened fire deep within me. The kiss was everything I hoped a first kiss to be, but then again so was Fitzwilliam.
He gently pushed me down onto the blanket under the tree we were sitting beneath and I continue kissing him, as years of waiting finally paid off. My fiancée ran his hands all over my body and kissed my neck as my fingers became lost and tangled in his auburn hair.