Page 67 of Unwillingly Mrs. Darcy
Her breath hitched slightly at his words.
Darcy stood then, rounding the desk so that he stood before her, closer than they had ever been. He lifted a hand, hesitated for the briefest of moments, then let his fingers trace lightly along the back of hers. “From the moment I met you, you have challenged me. You have made me think, made me question myself in ways no one else ever dared. You have made me want to be more than I was.”
Elizabeth swallowed, her heart hammering against her ribs. “You were already a great man,” she whispered. “I only needed to see it.”
His gaze darkened, his hand pressing more firmly against hers. “Then I am glad you finally do.”
Silence stretched between them, charged and heavy. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting warm golden light around them, while the faint sound of carriage wheels on the street outside filled the quiet.
Elizabeth took a slow, steadying breath. “Darcy…” she began, “I do not wish for an annulment.”
His fingers tensed against hers.
She met his gaze, eyes shining with certainty. “I do not want to leave you. I want to be here. With you. As your wife. As Mrs Darcy.”
For a moment, he simply stared at her, as though he scarcely dared to believe what he had heard.
Then, without another word, he lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing a feather-light path along her jaw.
Elizabeth barely had a moment to react before his lips were upon hers.
The kiss was soft at first, tentative, as if testing the reality of the moment. But then he deepened it, his other hand coming to rest at the small of her back, pulling her against him. Elizabeth melted into him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his coat, her entire world narrowing to the warmth of his touch, the steady strength of his embrace.
When they finally pulled apart, Elizabeth’s breath was unsteady, her pulse racing.
Darcy pressed his forehead against hers, his voice hushed and reverent. “You do not know how long I have wished to hear you say that.”
She smiled, tilting her chin to look at him. “Then I am glad I said it.”
His lips brushed against hers once more, a whisper of a promise.
Elizabeth closed her eyes, letting herself revel in the certainty of it.
There would be challenges ahead, no doubt. But in that moment, with Darcy’s arms around her and the fire warming the study, she knew one thing with absolute clarity.
She was home.
Epilogue
Elizabeth
Two Years Later
Longbourn, Hertfordshire
The crisp autumn air at Longbourn carried the scent of earth and harvest, while golden leaves tumbled from the trees in a gentle dance. Elizabeth walked alongside her father, who leaned on his stick, his steps steadier than they had been in months.
“I thought this day would never come,” he murmured, disbelief threading through his tone. “That I would never live to see it. The christening of my first grandchild.”
Elizabeth glanced up at him, warmth unfurling in her heart. “And yet here you are, Papa,” she said, slipping her hand through his free arm. “I am so very glad of it.”
Mr Bennet chuckled and shook his head. “Thanks in no small part to your husband, I daresay. He seems determined to gather the family together, does he not?”
Elizabeth could not deny the truth in that. Darcy had ensured that the best physicians tended to her father throughout his long recovery. “Yes,” she agreed with a fond smile. “He has done so much for us all.”
As they strolled, they reminisced about the past year and a half. Jane’s marriage to Mr Bingley had been a joyous occasion, and Mr Bennet had been well enough to walk her down theaisle. Now, the newlyweds had settled in an estate in the North, conveniently near Pemberley, allowing Elizabeth to visit often.
“She is faring well, I trust?” Mr Bennet asked, genuine concern reflected in his eyes.
