Page 44 of Darcy Makes a Deal
“My father forced you to bet ten thousand pounds that you could convince me to marry you?” She could not believe it of either man.
“I can see how it may appear that way,” he said. “Let me tell you the story.”
Elizabeth listened as her husband told her how he discovered that her father was planning to force her to marry Mr. Collins. As he continued to tell the tale, she realized that not only was it the story of how he saved her from such a fate, but it was also the story of how he realized he was truly in love with her and that he wanted to marry her.
The whole thing had happened so long ago that Elizabeth couldn’t remember all the details, but she clearly remembered the day when Mr. Darcy returned to Hertfordshire and how he told her that he loved a lady but that he had already ruined his chances with her. It was the first time she realized that hehad any affection for her, and the experience had been so soul-shaking that she was certain she would remember it until the day she died.
She thought back to all he had done and what he must have spent to come back to her. He must have purchased the lease to Netherfield as well as having risked ten thousand pounds if she refused to marry him.
Elizabeth knew her husband very well after twelve years of marriage. She knew he was honest to a fault, and she knew he loved her deeply. Even so, his being willing to spend ten thousand pounds simply to make her life better, even if she refused his suit, was the most profound expression of love she had ever heard of.
Even for a man as wealthy as Mr. Darcy, such sacrifices were hardly negligible.
As he spoke, and she gained a better and better understanding of how much he loved her even back then, tears sprang to her eyes. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it, trying to say all she could not put into words.
When he was done telling his tale, she leaned over him and kissed him gently on his lips. She brushed his cheek, feeling the rough stubble of his unshaven face. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful life.”
The End
