God Bless

by Peg

October 2002, Firthness Challenge Entry

Rated PG

Author's Note: Hi, this is my little sequel. It's a little strange, that he proposes to her in this story for they were engaged in my first story before they even kissed for the first time, but as we all know, JA never made him do it properly ... There are probably a few clumsy sentences and other mistakes, it's not my native language... I hope there is the one or other nice scene anyway.

They were standing on the road, still the shadow of an overwhelming experience on their happy faces when the carriage that distracted them from their previous engagement came to a halt. Lizzie and Darys separated so not to give the impression something inappropriate might have happened.

Somebody peeked out of the curtains. Greasy black hair, brushed in a strange fashion all over the forehead was the first thing that came into view. But it was only the spitting image of Mr. Collins.

"'Xcuse me. Do you happen to know, are there any nobleman in this area?" the stranger asked.

Darcy still in trance failed to show his usual aloof, stern, haughty appearance and just stared at this man in wonder.

"You seem to be quite the sort of gentleman, I'm looking for, yourself" the stranger remarked.

Lizzy couldn't help smiling at Darcy so unlike himself. He recovered well enough to answer: "I might be …?"

The stranger got out of the carriage and looked up at Darcy who was a foot taller than he. "I'm right to assume that you know a good brandy, when you taste it?" with this he reached into the carriage to find a box with a bottle and glasses.

"You are a tradesman?" Darcy concluded.

"Indeed, I am! And I'm proud to say, I've got connections to the finest distilleries in France. I've just been in London and have acquired a long list of customers of the highest ranks in social life…"

"What do you come here for then, if your business runs so well?" Lizzie enquired.

"That would have been exactly my question…"Darcy stated and reached out his hand for her so she could take it and step a bit closer to him again. It seemed this stranger put Darcy perfectly at ease to behave as he chose.

"I know, you are right, … it's just my humanity that leads me here." He was pouring some brandy in a glass and handed it to Darcy. "I think it just fair, that countryfolks of that little fortune that it needs to afford a fine brandy, that are deprived the privilege of the society in town, ought to at least have their fair share of beverage adequate to their social position!"

"Then fill a glass for the Lady." Darcy asked. The stranger looked a bit bewildered at Darcy as did Lizzie. But Darcy insisted.

There they were, in the middle of the day in the middle of the road. A bottle of fine brandy between them and the stranger turned out to be an excellent tradesman. If someone ever suggested to Darcy that he would order any beverage from a stranger in the middle of nowhere in the presence of a lady, his lady to be …

The tradesman gave them a lift to Netherfield so they could finish the deal, they've already agreed on when they had tried the brandy. Then the Tradesman left and left them a bottle to make up for the time to the delivery of the order.

After they had seen him out, Darcy and Lizzie returned to the study. "That's already as if we were married" Darcy said. Lizzie looked at him questioningly.

"Seeing people out together and then returning together into the house," Darcy explained.

"It is not your house." Lizzie remarked. She went to stand by the window.

Darcy had filled himself another glass of Brandy. "Still it fits into my image of our future…" He drank some and offered Lizzie some.

"No, thank you. That little bit from earlier is still having it's side-effects."

"What side-effect does it have on you?" he enquired coming over to Lizzie to stand by her side. His eyes were fixed at her eyes but then occasionally wandering over her full lips and down to her bosom.

"I feel a bit dizzy and hot." she said.

"Dizzy and hot … ?" he said in a low voice. He put his drink down and moved around her to stand in front of her.
"… that's about how I felt the last few months whenever I was in your presence or merely thinking of you." He reached out for her hands and kissed them. "And I still am. You make me drunk Elizabeth."
Lizzie felt a tremor in her spine from the way he looked at her.

"That's a very poetic saying Mr. Darcy. I didn't think you capable of that."

She pulled her hands gently out of his and moved a bit backwards trying to find out, how much she could tease him, without really annoying him. She just felt she needed to do it, to save herself from following her most basic instincts, that would be, to give herself to him…

"You don't think me capable… Wait a second. There is something else on my mind!" he walked away, drank another glass of brandy and then positioned himself in front of her again.

"Elizabeth, it might be the brandy that's loosening my tongue…" He looked deep in her eyes ." But there is something on my mind I feel I need to say."

"What could that be?" Lizzie asked feeling a bit uncomfortable.

He started nervously playing with his fingers. "You know we've had quite a wretched beginning, … and we are not like the shiny happy couple, that's probably by now wondering where we are… "

"Maybe we'd better …" Lizzie started rather uncertain where this might lead to.

"No wait," he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Elizabeth, the Princess my friend Bingley sees in your sister Jane, is exactly what I find in you! You are the light of my life. I feel a little guilty for how things went. I didn't want to betray any of your childhood dreams."

"What do you mean?" Lizzie looked puzzled.

Darcy smiled "I know the way girls dream of their future, I have a sister and I read books, I confess there have been novels among them…"

Lizzie looked up on him. She felt a bit safer now that the topic was revealed or at least proved to be nothing of a serious kind.

"I don't see anything amiss Mr. Darcy. I think myself quite happy with a wonderful bright future. I never dreamt of anything better than what is actually happening."

He still held her by her shoulders and now looked down to her in his last effort to start what he wanted to.

"Right, … still, then let me finish what I was about to do, because I wish to do it. And I need to do this properly."

"Whatever do you mean, William?" Lizzie wondered aloud a little amused. It must be the brandy.

"Please, don’t think me a fool … I know we are engaged but … I've practised that in my childhood and want to put it to some use now."

Lizzie smiled, when she saw him slowly kneeling down in front of her. "Oh William" she sighed and bit her lower lip in expectation.

He looked up on her, holding out for one of her hands, which she gave him now trembling slightly.

He held her hand and covered it with his other hand. "Elizabeth, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You make my life complete and I will never let you go again. Will you marry me? And stay with me for the rest of our days on this planet and then elsewhere for eternity?"

Lizzie was moved by his proposal. A tear was running down her cheek. She came down to him and knelt beside him placing her free hand on his chest. "William, I will, I will, I promise … for eternity! … oh, thank you so much!" He cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed away the tears. With her hand on his chest, she felt and could almost hear his heartbeat when he moved down to her mouth and their lips met.

When their lips parted, they just smiled at each other. They were now sitting on the floor by the window, the view to the door blocked by an enormous desk, neither of them showing any inclination to leave this little private hiding place.

"I will never forget this day." Darcy said.

"I won't either. William, I am so eager to get to really know you" she tucked an unruly curl gently behind his ear.

"You know me already better than anyone else." He said moving her with him to a more comfortable position. So they were sitting under the window like teenagers. Darcy was holding her in his arm.

"I know now what an effect brandy has on you, how about port, William?" Lizzie teased him. She tried to read his face turning her head in his embrace.

"It's not the brandy Elizabeth, It is you, that has this effect on me. And your lips taste sweeter and more promising than even the finest brandy and port in the world!" His eyes were locked on her lips again.

"And you don't even have to pay duty on them." Lizzie teased him.

"I'd pay anything it takes to stake my claim on them."

"I'd accept a taste from yours in my turn." she laughed.

"How practical, we should try if this really works." With this he pulled her onto his lap holding her body close. He tipped up her chin, his intention obvious and she was just willing to comply with his wishes.

Copyright held by Peg - 2002