Page 101 of Shields and Roses

She had listened quietly as he explained his thoughts. When he fell silent again, she said very quietly, "Ask."

"Ask what?"

"The biggest question. Gather your courage and ask for your future."

Darcy stared at her wide-eyed for a moment. Lizzy waited. Suddenly, he seemed to realize exactly what she meant, and he slipped from the bench onto his knees before her. She offered him her hands and held them in his own, looking up into her eyes.

"Miss Elizabeth, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?" he asked so softly she could hardly hear him, although she did not need to hear him to know what words he said.

"Yes." she answered. "Yes, Mr. Darcy, I will."

He drew her hands to his lips and tenderly kissed the back of each one before resting his forehead atop them. She felt him breathing raggedly as he tried to control his emotions.

"Thank you," he finally said, raising his head and looking back up at her. "I will do my best to make you happy, as happy as you have made me and more. Thank you."

She drew their clasped hands up towards her, pulling him closer as she leaned down until their lips met in a sweet first kiss. Darcy leaned forward to deepen the kiss, when they heard a voice from one of the windows of the house that caused them to jump apart in surprise.

"I think that is enough for now," they heard Bennet say. Darcy quickly pulled back and let go of Lizzy's hands as Bennet continued. "No need to scandalize the household. I expect you have something to say to me now as well, Mr. Darcy, although no kneeling is necessary. I think it is probably time you both came inside and had some breakfast."

"Yes, Mr. Bennet," Darcy said, exhaling loudly in something between a sigh and frustration immediately afterwards

He got to his feet and looked shyly at Lizzy. She was blushing. He offered her his hand to help her rise. Before taking it, she reached under the bench for their cups.

"Mrs. Hill is never pleased when we leave dishes outside," she said, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Mrs. Reynolds, our housekeeper at Pemberley, is not very pleased about that sort of thing either," he said, trying to get over the awkwardness of the interruption.

"I wonder how long he was watching?" she asked.

"I doubt he would tell us if we asked," he replied. "He does love to tease, after all. Of course, if I knew we had an audience, my courage probably would have failed me entirely."

"Do you have courage enough to tell my mother?" she asked.

"I am so pleased at your response that I can find courage if I must."

"I am not certain I can," she said. "Perhaps we can wait until Mary arrives and then we will give her the news all at once and get it over with."

"So long as you do not rescind your acceptance, I am fine with waiting until your sister comes to tell your mother. That is, if she was not also watching us from a window."

"Oh, we would have heard it if she were," Lizzy assured him with a slight chuckle. "Everyone would have heard her."

"Hmm. I suppose you are correct," Darcy said as he reached to open the side door so they could go inside.

"Wait," she said and stepped close to him. She stood on tiptoe and he leaned down so they could share one more tender kiss, this one unobserved.

As they parted and he opened the door, she said, "Living in the same house with you these past few days, getting to know who you really are and sharing in the events and plans we have all made together - it has felt just right to me as well. I look forward to the future you envision and all the many things we do not yet know that will surely come to pass." They stepped inside and closed the door. Quickly, as if afraid of another interruption, they shared another kiss before heading to the breakfast room.

Bennet reached the room just before they did. "Good morning," he said pleasantly as they entered. "So, tell me, is it courtship or marriage?"

"Marriage, sir," Darcy answered, "but we wish to wait for the announcement until after Miss Mary returns. Assuming we have your blessing and you will agree to that plan."

Looking closely at Lizzy, Bennet guessed, "Hoping to experience just one bout of Mrs. Bennet's joy?"

"Yes, Papa," Lizzy answered. "You know the noise will be intolerable for days if we start her at it now."

Bennet slowly nodded. "Yes, what you say has merit. Very well. We shall keep it a secret engagement for now and wait to reveal it along with Mary's secret courtship when she arrives."

Lizzy kissed her father on the cheek. "Thank you, Papa," she said.