Richard smirked, “And you find her fascinating still. Just in a more... gentlemanly fashion.”
“It is beyond fascination. I find her most tempting and I need some distance from her to think straight. She is not what I had envisioned as a wife and she has no dowry and the opposite of what I had been looking for, but she is... I desire her more than anything I wanted in my life.” He sighed, “I am going to ask father if I may go to London with you in two days. I can have Darcy House opened up and you can stay with me instead of at the barracks with the lowly officers.” William smiled as he looked at his cousin. “I know how much you detest staying there and I would not mind having you for company. Now that you are a high-ranking officer, you have much more free time and can go to the club with me. I need to be away from her for a while until I can sort this out, or at least until she grows up a little more. I am afraid that I will disgrace myself to be in her vicinity next two months and she is still fifteen.”
Richard asked, “What are your intentions? Any woman would be fortunate to marry you, William.”
“I never felt like this before, Richard, and cannot imagine life without her. I have always loved her but I want her as my wife now. No one else compares and I envisage my future with her by my side, having a marriage like my parents’ and her becoming my perfect companion. If I wait until she is sixteen and propose, I think I can wait for a one-year engagement and marry her as soon as she is seventeen. That is a decent age for a girl to be wed, do you not think?” William asked his cousin, “Mama was seventeen when she married, even if she was closer to eighteen at the time.”
“Your mind is made up, then?” Richard asked. “You will take Lizzy for your wife? She is still a fiery little thing but turned out to become a beautiful woman. Her figure... wow... if I were not an engaged man...” He laughed to see William reddening. “I jest, I jest! I am far too old for her!”
William finally relaxed and sat back. “Yes, you are, Richard, and I will not lose her to anyone else. Father said mama has been working on her to convince her to find a husband and I know she will accept me. She will have much to learn to be a good mistress to my homes but she is intelligent and will be a quick study. Yes, it is a good plan, do you concur?”
Richard nodded, “Perhaps you and I will both be wed by next year spring. After my year is up, I plan on retiring and Laura will marry me next year. I saw her at Matlock and she is as beautiful as ever and I was able to convince her to marry me. Our betrothal is still a secret but once I retire, I will have Rosings and my father, the great earl, will not be able to stop me. I know he will disapprove my marrying Anne’s companion with a scandalous past but I care naught and Laura will become the Mistress of Rosings when we return there.” He laughed. “It will cause quite a ruckus but I will gladly accept it. We will be blissfully happy and laugh at the harpies who are envious of our marriage.”
“I am happy for you, Richard.” William stated. “I apologise that I was a jealous fool. I thought you might have been desiring Lizzy’s attentions and I could not help myself. Look at us, cousin, both of us in love with our ladies and we will marry next year. I am glad we spoke, Richard. Very glad, indeed.”
“Well, good night, William. When you have made arrangements with your father, we will depart in two days.” Richard stood. “You will have to explain your absence to Lizzy, you know. What will you tell her?”
William smiled, “I will tell her I am seeing to my solicitor for some personal business. I will have to make plans for the settlement papers, am I not correct?”
Richard laughed and departed for his rooms while William sat in the library and contemplated his future. Lizzy would be a wonderful companion for him and even if she was rough around the edges, his mother would be able to help model her in the areas she was deficient and Lizzy would become his perfect wife. He planned on treating her to anything she wished, to fence with her and teach her to shoot, and even climb trees with her if she desired, as long as it was in private and she could assimilate to what the accomplished ladies did in the drawing rooms the rest of the times. He was certain she would be readily willing to forfeit some of her masculine capabilities in order to meet his expectations as Mrs. Darcy. Lizzy would have her heart’s desire as his wife and he would have his heart’s desire with her.
~*~
“I did not think I would see you here, Will.” Lizzy spoke from the tree branch where she sat. “You have not come to see me all week and you have not spoken with me like you used to do. Are you very disappointed in me? I know I have changed on the outside but I am still the same person inside.” She climbed down then patted Snowflake’s nose. “I missed you, Snowflake. You were kept at Pemberley for so long these years.”
William dismounted from the horse, “You have grown beautifully and I am pleased to be
