“Pemberley? Why are you going to Pemberley when you have just arrived? Will you be taking Miss Bingley with you?” Lizzy asked in surprise.
“Miss Bingley? Why the hell would I take that woman anywhere with me?” William exclaimed.
Lizzy shouted in return, “Because you are courting her! I thought you found her attractive and you would marry her. She is genteel and has a large dowry and will be your perfect society wife.”
“I do not want her! I never wanted her!” William yelled back. He took a deep breath and sternly growled, “I am in love with you, Lizzy. How could I ever forget you? I know you are engaged now and I have lost you, but I will love you until my last breath.” He sighed and spoke softer, “I came to give you my last gift before you marry.” He pulled out the papers from his pocket and handed it to her. “A wedding gift, I suppose. It is the cottage in Ramsgate, Lizzy. I bought it for you and it is yours. It was always meant to be yours. I know Wickham will not have enough funds to keep you comfortable and you can sell it or use it for your home or lease it out; it is yours to do as you wish. Even though I cannot marry you, I will continue to be your blood-brother and wish for your comfort for the rest of your life. I always intended for you to have the cottage but I know I will not be able to give you much more once you are married.”
“I am not engaged.” Lizzy bluntly stated. “I have never been engaged and I will never marry Mr. Wickham.”
“But I saw you... I heard that you and he...” William could not speak. “I... but...”
Lizzy smiled as she reached up and cradled his cheek. “Kiss me, Will. Kiss me again like you did last time.”
William immediately obeyed and began to kiss her fervently. There was no softness, no slow, warming kiss, but rather the impassioned desire of a man who was desperately in love with the woman of his dreams. He held her as closely as humanly possible and made love to her mouth with all the ardency he had bottled up for over a year.
At last they separated for breath while William continued to hold her. He could not believe he was able to hold her and kiss her and he still could not understand how she was not betrothed. She had requested the kiss and he felt as if he would lose his mind if he could not hold her like this for the rest of his life. He kissed her neck and ear. “Tell me you love me, Lizzy. Tell me you wish to kiss me and allow me to hold you like this forever. I love you and I will never stop loving you.”
“I love you, Will. Ask me your question again.” Lizzy commanded. “Ask me to be the happiest woman alive.”
William released her from his embrace in disbelief and knelt with one knee on the ground. He pulled out the precious ring that he had carried for over a year. “You are the love of my life, Elizabeth Bennet, and there is no life without you in my future. You are perfect as you are and it would give me the greatest honour to become your husband. Will you marry me? Will you grant me my greatest wish?”
Lizzy could only nod and smile as he placed the beautiful ring on her finger. It was a large blue stone of the brightest sparkle and it was the most gorgeous ring she had ever seen.
She wiped her tears of joy and spoke tenderly to him, “I had discovered that I was in love with you after our last kiss. Your passion was evident when I felt our souls connect and I saw you as a husband and I had wished to marry you. I believe my feelings had slowly begun to turn after your first proposal but until the kiss, I could not admit it to myself that I could belong with you as your wife. I had finally sorted out my emotions when I arrived in Darcy House after speaking with my aunt of my heart, but then I saw you with Miss Bingley and you looked happy. I gave you up because I wanted you to have the best.”
William affectionately kissed her lips several times. “I had tried to see if I could find someone else to marry but my heart would not budge. I danced with a dozen ladies and spoke with various women whom I found all wanting. I even called on Caroline Bingley three times and I could only imagine what impertinent questions you would have asked her and she failed miserably again, Lizzy. They were not you. None of them came close to a fraction of the woman that you are, my love. There was and will never be anyone for me but you. Look inside the ring.”
Lizzy pulled off the ring to see the tiny inscription inside. It read, ‘ED+FD ALWAYS’.
“E.D., Will?” Lizzy asked. “I am E.B.”
William laid his forehead on hers, “Elizabeth Darcy, silly girl. My Elizabeth, my Mrs, Darcy, the wife of my dreams.” He kissed her again ardently until she began to shiver. “Good lord, I forgot you are dripping wet. We must get you home.”
Lizzy laughed when he cossetted her again and began to help her onto his own horse. “I can ride on Snowflake, Will! I must gather the model ship as well. Papa will be furious that I took it out of his study.”
William chuckled, “Considering that it is yours to do with as you wish, your father will not be angry with you. At least you
