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"All right, then," she said. "I'm sorry for coming. I know I shouldn't in the middle of the night and—"

"You shouldn't have done. No. But I'm glad you wanted to tell me. I love you, Elizabeth. I hope you believe that now. And even if you don't feel the same, I'd like our marriage to be based on honesty at the very least."

Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically.

"And respect," she said, because she had seen a marriage for many years where the respect had gone, and that was not something she wanted for herself.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Elizabeth said. "At the church."

She had suddenly realised that they were alone in the dark and that the spark between them was filling the air again, and she didn't think it was a very good idea to stay any longer.

Darcy shook his head. "You cannot ride back across the fields in the dark on your own at this time of night," he said.

Elizabeth frowned at him. "Well, I certainly can, because I've just done it," she said.

"It's not safe, Elizabeth," Darcy said. "As my wife—"

"I'm not your wife yet," she said hotly, and she didn't know why she was causing an argument. Because she wanted to be his wife. But she did not like being dictated to. She never had done, whether it was by her mother or her father or now the man who was to be her husband.

But then he looked at her with those dark eyes and said, "Please, Elizabeth, I just want you to be safe."

Elizabeth sighed. "I understand that," she said more softly than before. "But you're right, it's late. We should both get back to our beds. And by the time you've saddled a horse, someone might notice."

Darcy gave a dark chuckle. "I don't think we need to worry too much about someone noticing, Elizabeth. We're getting married tomorrow, after all. As long as we make it down that aisle, there won't be any scandal."

Her cheeks blushed.

He had a point, she supposed, but why wouldn't he just let her return the way she had come?

Sleep was finally overcoming her, and she just wanted to get home and try to get a couple of hours before it was time to get ready for her wedding.

"I'll ride with you," he said, "and walk back."

"But then you'll get no sleep," she said.

"I can survive perfectly well on an hour's sleep, don't you worry. Now, come on. You're right. It's late."

"You’re in your nightclothes," she protested. She could feel her cheeks warming at even commenting on the fact.

He looked down, seemed to notice his bare feet, and laughed. "Give me two minutes. Don’t ride off without me, all right?"

"If you insist," she said with a groan, and sure enough, two minutes later, he reappeared with a coat thrown over his nightclothes – whose, she did not know, since she was wearing his, although she didn’t think he’d notice – and some boots on his feet.

He handed her up onto the horse and then mounted behind her.

She had never before been so close to a man, and she was extremely aware of his strong thighs against her, his arms around her as they held the reins, encouraging Chestnut on.

Her mind went blank, and she wondered how on earth they were going to converse once they were married if this was what happened to her brain every time he was close.

"I like your coat," he said into the darkness as Longbourn came into sight.

"Oh, sorry. I keep meaning to—"

"You can keep it." He chuckled. "It looks better on you than it does on me."

"I doubt that," Elizabeth said with a laugh.

Surely he was aware of quite how handsome he was. In fact, she was surprised he had reached an age approaching thirty without having been trapped into marriage somehow. Surely with his good looks and his well-advertised income, mothers were throwing their daughters at him.