6
Their last fullday at Pemberley dawned gray and misty, matching Elizabeth's melancholic mood. Tomorrow morning they would depart for Longbourn, and she did not know when she would see Mr. Darcy again.
After breakfast, he suggested a final walk. The Gardiners, now more trusting, allowed them to go with just a housemaid as chaperone and a stern look from Mrs. Gardiner that said, "behave."
They walked in comfortable silence until they reached a secluded grove. The housemaid, well-trained in the art of chaperoning courting couples, stationed herself at the entrance, suddenly fascinated by the rose bushes that required extensive examination.
The moment they were sufficiently hidden from view, Mr. Darcy pulled Elizabeth into his arms.
"I cannot bear the thought of tomorrow," he said roughly. "Watching you leave and not being able to follow."
"How long?" she asked, pressing closer. "How long must we wait?"
He groaned, resting his forehead against hers. "At least a fortnight. I have nearly forty tenant families coming to Pemberley for the harvest meetings. With the poor weather this spring and several leases requiring renegotiation, they need to hear directly from me, not my steward, that their concerns will be addressed."
"Of course you must stay," Elizabeth said, though her heart sank. "Your tenants depend on you."
"I confess I have never resented my responsibilities more. But these families have worked the Pemberley land for generations. I owe them my personal attention." His jaw clenched with visible frustration. "The moment the last meeting is concluded, nothing will keep me from you. I swear it."
"I would not respect you if you abandoned them for me," Elizabeth said.
"And that," he said roughly, "is one of the many reasons I love you. You understand duty, even when it torments us both."
He kissed her then, deep and passionate, pouring all his longing into the connection. His hands roamed her body with more freedom than before, knowing she was his, that she had promised herself to him.
"I have something for you," he said when they finally broke apart, both breathing hard. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box he had been carrying since breakfast, waiting for the right moment. "I retrieved this from my mother's jewels this morning."
Inside was a ring: a sapphire surrounded by diamonds, elegant and obviously precious.
"It was my mother's," he said softly. "I want you to have it, to wear it, to know that you are mine even when we are apart."
"Fitzwilliam, it is beautiful," she breathed as he slipped it onto her finger.
"It pales compared to you," he said simply.
They stayed in the grove as long as they dared, kissing, touching, whispering promises and endearments, always mindful of the housemaid's patient presence nearby. When they finally emerged, both were somewhat disheveled despite their attempts at restraint.
The housemaid, Sarah, kept her eyes politely averted as she fell into step behind them, though Elizabeth caught what might have been a small smile.
Mrs. Gardiner was in the morning room when they returned. She took one look at them, noting Elizabeth's flushed cheeks and mussed hair, and sighed deeply.
"Elizabeth, perhaps you should refresh yourself before luncheon," she suggested pointedly. "And Mr. Darcy, I trust you will remember that despite your engagement, certain proprieties must be maintained."
"Of course, Mrs. Gardiner," Mr. Darcy said, though his eyes never left Elizabeth's face.
Their last dinner at Pemberley was bittersweet. Georgiana was near tears at the thought of losing Elizabeth so soon after gaining her.
"You will visit again soon," Mr. Darcy promised his sister. "And after we are married, Elizabeth will live here."
"Really?" Georgiana brightened. "Oh, Elizabeth, we shall be true sisters!"
After dinner, while the Gardiners were engaged in conversation with Georgiana, Mr. Darcy drew Elizabeth into his private study, leaving the door properly ajar as propriety demanded.
"We should not," she whispered, even as she moved into his arms.
"I know," he said, his voice rough with need. "But tomorrow you leave, and I need..."
"What do you need?" she asked softly.
