Elizabeth recognized the self-loathing in his voice and stared at him for a moment in confusion. “Why would you think that? Surely, you must have noticed the pleasure I receive from your attentions?”

He remained silent.

She lowered herself to the ground and held his hands. “Fitzwilliam, look at me. Do you truly think I would not welcome such a natural progression of intimacy between us? If this is the case, I can assure you that you are mistaken. I welcome it, very much. If I did not, I would never encourage you to kiss me or permit you to take me in your arms as I do. You must know that.”

He sighed before saying, “Yes. I do. I also know you would never have allowed the liberties I have taken in the first place if you did not feel some degree of tenderness for me. It is just that the regard I know you now have for me is not yet equal to the strength of my feelings for you. I do not wish to ask too much of you, Elizabeth. I would never be able to live with myself if my…affections for you were to drive you away from me. I cannot tell you how much I fear losing you, losing what I have found with you.” His voice was suddenly hoarse. “You know not how much I—”

“Shh, dearest, shh,” she said as she stroked a curl from his brow, “there is no need to think of such things.”

Needing very much to feel her reassurance, Darcy pulled her onto his lap, and they held each other in silence for some time before he finally allowed himself to voice a concern that had been tormenting him since the previous evening. “Elizabeth, you must promise me you will not allow your mother to persuade you to marry that… man. I could not bear it.”

She could not help but laugh. “By ‘that man,’ I suppose you refer to my cousin, sir? No”—she smiled—“have no worries on that account. Heaven forbid, even if I were to be found with Mr. Collins in a compromising situation, and the chance of that is practically nonexistent, I can safely promise you I would never consent to marry him.”

“And what if you were found in a compromising situation with me?” he asked softly and with complete seriousness. “Would you continue to refuse me, as well? Or might I be successful by employing some particular manner of persuasion that might entice you to accept me?”

“I believe, Fitzwilliam,” she said with an impish smile as she caressed his jaw, “that in a matter of only a few weeks, you have already had far more success on that score than my poor cousin could ever hope for in the course of his entire life!”

Darcy’s eyes flared. “Truly?”

She bowed her head and looked up at him through her lashes. “Truly. But I believe I am not yet prepared to formalize more than a courtship between us at this time. I hope you understand and are not terribly discouraged. You see, sir, I have only just now come to learn I do not enjoy being the cause of any disappointment to you.”

He traced her cheek with his finger as his eyes devoured her. “Then why do you continue to refuse me the one thing that would most assuredly not disappoint me?”

She raised her brow in admonishment.

“Forgive me,” he said. “I should not have asked it. Of course, I would never wish for you to consent to anything I ask of you before you are ready to do so with your whole heart.”

“I know, and I thank you,” she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him with warmth and feeling.If I cannot yet agree to say what I know will make him happy, at least I can show him how much happiness he brings to me.

*   *   *

Not until some time later, Darcy and Elizabeth managed to find their way back to Longbourn, where they were met at the end of the walkway by Mrs. Bennet, her nerves in an obvious dither.

“Good gracious! Mr. Darcy, you are certainly out early this morning. And how kind of you to condescend to escort such an impertinent, headstrong girl home from her wild ramblings about the countryside. You are very welcome to breakfast, sir, for we are all just sitting down now, but I am afraid Lizzy will be prevented from joining us. Mr. Collins has something very particular he wishes to speak to her about.” She snatched Elizabeth away before either could raise any objection, and propelled her into the house.

Darcy was horrified. Good, God! It can only mean my aunt’s half-witted parson intends to propose to her! He experienced a sudden, desperate urge to run after Elizabeth and tear her away from her mother’s grasp, to put her upon the back of his horse and carry her off to London without delay, where he would marry her immediately. The scandal that would surely follow them would demand they marry in any case. Knowing, however, that Elizabeth would be displeased by his taking such a rash measure, he swallowed hard, passed his hand over his eyes, and considered his other options. Darcy was forced to admit that, other than publicly declaring the very particular manner in which he had just compromised her in the middle of the field, he was left with very little else but to present his suit and try his luck at reasoning with Mr. Bennet.

Squaring his shoulders, Darcy strode into the house, and seeing no one else about, he knocked upon the door to Mr. Bennet’s sanctuary. He heard a faint, “Enter,” issued from within the confines of the library, and breathed a sigh of relief before pushing open the door, hoping to find the elder gentleman alone.

“Ah, yes. Mr. Darcy. I have been expecting you, sir. Come in, come in. It is early yet for anything stronger than coffee, but I will not discourage you if, under the circumstances, you are feeling so inclined.” Mr. Bennet’s mouth was turned up in a wry smile, not unlike the one he had often seen upon Elizabeth’s pert lips, Darcy observed.

“Thank you, no, sir.”

“Very well. Let us get to it, then,” he said as he leaned back in his chair. “Am I correct in supposing you have come to ask me something particular about my Lizzy?”

“Yes, sir, I have, but I hesitate to tell you there appears to be a slight… impediment.” Darcy watched uneasily as Mr. Bennet’s eyebrows retreated into his hairline.

“An impediment, did you say? I do not suppose you would care to enlighten me, Mr. Darcy, by telling me precisely what this impediment is and why it should affect your making my daughter an offer of marriage this morning?”

“It is precisely that, Mr. Bennet. I have already made Miss Elizabeth an offer of marriage not more than a fortnight ago, and she has refused me. She has, however, granted her consent to allow me the privilege of courting her, and I now respectfully ask you for yours until such a time as I am able to persuade her to reconsider.”

Mr. Bennet leaned forward. “Let me rightly understand you, Mr. Darcy. You proposed to Elizabeth two weeks ago?”

“Yes.”

“And she has refused you?”

“Yes.”

“And, in spite of her refusal of your hand, she is willing to allow you to pay court to her in the meantime?”

“Yes.”

“Extraordinary!” Mr. Bennet steepled his fingers and sat silently in thought for several minutes before addressing Darcy with a stern look. “Can you give me one reason, after the display I witnessed at the Netherfield ball, why I should not force Elizabeth to accept you today, regardless of what her current wishes might be? Before you answer me, I will remind you that your conduct was not witnessed only by me, but also by her mother, her elder sister, her cousin, Mr. Bingley, and his family, and God only knows how many of our other well-intentioned, gossiping neighbors.”

“I do not wish for Miss Elizabeth to be forced to marry me. It is not what she wants, nor is it what I would wish for her.”

Elizabeth’s father was incredulous. “Not what she wants? Not what you would wish for her? That is not good enough for me, Mr. Darcy! Both of you should have been responsible enough to have taken the consequences of such actions into account before you chose to behave so in public! You can think whatever you like, sir, but it is obvious from what I saw that my daughter is far from averse to your attentions. As a matter of fact, she seems to favor you with an astonishing familiarity I cannot help but find disturbing under the circumstances. So I am sure that, in light of this pointed observation, neither of you will remain unhappy for very long after you have entered into matrimony as soon as possible.”

Darcy was at a loss. He knew not what to do nor how to convince this man he could not possibly marry his favorite daughter without her declaration of love. He soon realized, however, any further assurances of the vehemence of his love for Elizabeth and his desire for the preservation of her happiness and her wishes would not aid him in the least. He clearly needed another approach. Deep in thought, he ran the back of his hand across his lips. “Sir, may I speak plainly?”

Mr. Bennet sighed and nodded curtly.

Darcy strode to the window and back several times before he finally said, “I will marry Miss Elizabeth, you have my word, both as a gentleman and as the master of Pemberley, Mr. Bennet, but I do ask that you reconsider and indulge your daughter’s desire for a formal courtship. Announcing an impending wedding between us at this time would succeed only in adding fuel to any local gossip that may arise. However, should it, instead, become publicly known that there already exists between us a prior courtship—which there most certainly does—then, perhaps continuing in this vein for several months or so might be a better option than announcing an engagement. It will give Miss Elizabeth the time she desires to come to better know her heart, not to mention it will very likely provide ample time for any idle talk and speculation to die down, as well.”