He laughed aloud. “I take it all back. It is absolutely down to you and your lively presence. You make me laugh when I would otherwise brood, and I find you so wholly delightful I cannot help but smile when I see you, nor be anything but pleased when I recall we are to spend the rest of our lives together.”

He raised her hand to his lips for a kiss and she blushed, then looked away annoyed. “Fitzwilliam, you are making me blush.”

“I know. That is half the fun of complimenting you.”

She tried to glare at him but a hint of a smile came through. “What is the other half?”

“Saying it aloud. It is so strong a feeling in me that if I do not say it, it will surely do me harm.”

She blushed again, but was not annoyed this time. He led her to a small bench under an arbor and they sat together, their legs touching lightly due to the size of the seat.

“What were you going to ask me?” asked Darcy.

“Hmm?”

“Before we got distracted, you sounded as if you had a question for me.”

“Oh, yes, I wanted to talk to you about who would accompany us on our wedding trip. My father said you had mentioned wanting to go alone, but it seemed undecided.”

“And you want to know…?” he asked.

“Do you? Wish to go alone? And why?”

“Yes, I do wish to go alone. Because I would like to be with you without anyone else getting in the way.”

“In the way? How could my sister be in the way? She is the least obtrusive person I know.”

“In the carriage there would be all three of us if your sister came along, but if we went alone, we would have time to talk or rest peacefully. I might take your hand or kiss you without an audience.” He took her hand and kissed it as if to show her what the trip would be like.

She was terrified. Did he wish to kiss her the entire journey? It would take days! Surely that wasn’t normal. They would get tired, would they not?

“What are you thinking, my love?” he asked.

“Fitzwilliam, surely you do not intend to kiss me for five whole days!”

He laughed at the look of shock on her face. “This may surprise you, dearest, but I intend to kiss you every day of our wedding trip, and every day after we return to Pemberley, and likely every day after that until I am too old to do the job properly, though do not be surprised if I try anyway.”