Chapter 15
I paced back and forth outside of Club Meryton, fumbling with the box in my pocket.
Valentine’s decorations adorned even the exterior of the club.
Strings of soft pink fairy lights draped from the awning, pulsing softly like a heartbeat.
Paper hearts—some glittery, some lace-cut, some oversized and gaudy on purpose—fluttered in the faint winter breeze.
A pair of neon-red cupids perched above the entrance, their bowstrings glowing and permanently drawn.
“You said she’s on her way?” I asked Charles, who leaned against the building watching my nervous strides.
He nodded. “Jane and her sisters are bringing her. Jane said she should be here any minute.”
The butterflies that had attacked my stomach only grew. “What if she says no?”
“That’s always a possibility.”
I groaned. “You’re horrible at reassurance.”
“Relax, Darcy. Jane told her that you broke off your engagement with Rosalie, so that’s no longer a barrier.
Besides, the whole town can see you both have feelings for each other.
Why do you think everyone has been trying so hard to get you together?
Chances are she won’t say no.” A huge grin came to his face, and he nodded down the street. “There she is.”
I spun to spot Lizzy and her four sisters walking toward the club.
She wore a deep blue wrap dress that hit above the knee and black ankle boots with a low heel.
Her hair fell around her in soft waves, slightly tousled.
A crossbody bag hung at her hips, with a notebook sticking out—ever the reporter, ready for anything.
For a second, I stood tongue-tied. I didn’t have words to speak. She was beautiful.
Lizzy’s step faltered when she saw me, her eyes growing wide. But she didn’t speak until we were close. “I’m happy you came.”
I cleared my throat and shook myself out of my daze. “You are?”
“Of course. I know I’ve said some pretty extreme things in the past. But I don’t hate you.”
‘Don’t hate’ was a far cry from love. Perhaps I’d jumped the gun after all.
“Lizzy—”
“All right! Let’s get started!” Lydia pulled a glowing string from her pocket. She tied one end around Lizzy’s wrist and then the other end to mine. She smiled at both of us. “It’s magic. If you accept what’s on the cards, your string will grow tighter, as will your bond.”
“Lydia, take this off,” Lizzy demanded. She faced me. “I’m so sorry. My family is out of control.”
“Actually, this one was me,” I said.
Lizzy’s jaw dropped, and she didn’t seem to know what to say.
“Okay, have fun, you two!” Kitty took Lizzy’s arm and pushed her through the entrance.
“And don’t forget to hand him the cards, Lizzy!” Jane called as the door slammed shut behind both of us.
Club Meryton had been more than decked out for Valentine’s Day. Hearts floated and danced within the moving lights. Pink and red chocolate hearts lay on the tables as a treat, no doubt each kind having their own unique magical effect.
But the club itself was empty. The celebration had been moved to a different venue.
“I thought this was a party,” Lizzy said.
“This party is only for you and me,” I said, watching her for any signs of discomfort. But there was only curiosity etched on her face as she surveyed her surroundings.
Hanging above us was a sign with glowing scrawled writing: “The Times I Fell for You.”
Lizzy turned and looked at me. I leaned forward and grabbed the first valentine taped to the wall beneath the sign. “This is for you.”
Lizzy took it and opened the envelope. Inside was a heart valentine that had my words written on the back.
“When I saw your eyes under the carnival lights, fierce and determined, as the Ferris wheel turned, I realized how easily I could fall for you,” she read.
Her breath caught for an instant before she looked up at me. “I’m supposed to give this to you?”
“Only if you accept it.”
Lizzy watched me for a long moment. Long enough for me to wonder if I’d made an embarrassing mistake in doing this. But then she reached out and handed me the valentine. A small smile came to my lips as relief slipped through me. I took it, and our line drew together a little tighter.
We moved to the next valentine card that sat on a table beside a typewriter surrounded by roses. Lizzy picked it up and pulled the card from the envelope.
“When you risked your career by choosing not to write the article about Charles’s sister, I knew you had a loyalty and a kindness that were rare in this world. You were someone worth trusting, worth loving.”
Lizzy pressed her lips together. Her eyes flicked to mine, full of feeling as she extended the card to me. I took it, and the string around our wrists pulled even tighter. We moved on to the next one, which sat with a potion that released bubble hearts that rose into the air.
“When you came to tend to your sister without a second thought, without caring what anyone else might say, I saw the depth of your heart.”
Lizzy’s cheeks were flushed, but she held the card out to me. I didn’t want this to feel like an ordeal.
Instead of accepting it, I said, “If you don’t wish to keep going…”
“Just take it,” she said softly.
I took the card, and our string vibrated and shortened even more, tugging us closer together.
“Where to next?” she asked, looking around.
“That way.” I pointed toward the next table, which had cupcakes and other goodies from Cupid’s Confections resting on the surface.
Lizzy picked up the next valentine and opened it. “When we kissed at Cupid’s Confections during the play and it felt like the first time, I finally let myself admit that there was no getting over you.”
She gave me a sly smile and handed me the valentine. We walked over to the next one, the magical line now close together. This card sat beside the words “Thank You” written out in enchanted glitter. Lizzy lifted the note and opened it.
“When you stood beside me through the most excruciating news of my life, never judging, only holding space for me, I knew you had the grace of a queen and a heart strong enough to carry both of us.”
She didn’t look up from the card, and my heart pounded in my chest. It was now or never.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the little black box and got on one knee. “When you stood your ground before my aunt, refusing to deny me, something inside me stirred. A hope I thought long extinguished came alive, and I couldn’t let you go. Not without trying one more time.”
A single word from her could silence me on this topic forever, but I had to ask. I opened the box, my heart in my throat. “So, Elizabeth Bennet, will you be my queen?”
Lizzy turned slowly, and I noticed the tears streaming from her eyes. She looked down at the little king chess piece lying in the box.
“What’s this?” she asked, confused.
“Touch its heart.”
She touched it. The heart of the king split open, and a rose bloomed out. In the center of it was a simple silver ring with a small diamond inlaid in the band.
“You have captured this king’s heart,” I murmured.
“Stand up,” she said, and feeling uncertain, I rose. Despite everything, I had one terrifying moment when I thought maybe I’d read everything wrong and she’d deny me. She stepped close, tipped on her toes, and kissed me.
The chord binding our wrists released us.
Reaching out, she lifted the ring from the box, then placed it on her finger. She wiped her eyes and gazed up at me. “Yes, Fitzwilliam Darcellion Valemont, I will marry you.”
“She said yes!” Lydia cried back at the entrance of Club Meryton.
She and her family had probably been spying on us through most of my proposal.
I shook my head, and Lizzy only smiled as cheers sounded, people pouring into the club.
It wasn’t only the Bennets. Mayor Pembroke, Wickham, Frank, Riley, Charles, Ernesto, Anne, Georgiana, Ms. Bates…
all of Austen Heights filled the club within minutes.
Apparently the town celebration hadn’t been moved to a different location.
They had only adjusted the starting time.
“You should have known they’d never leave us alone for this,” Lizzy teased, her voice light with amusement.
Everyone clapped and cheered around us, shouting their congratulations.
I couldn’t help but kiss Lizzy one more time.
I pulled her close. Her warmth washed over me, her lips soft, her taste of mint and chocolate sweet and wonderful.
I slid my hand into her hair, loving the feel of its silken strands under my fingertips.
The nerves inside me faded away, and in that moment everything felt right, perfect.
This was the best decision I’d ever made.
“I’m glad you don’t hate me anymore,” I said after pulling back, breathless.
“Me too,” she said, her eyes bright and sparkling. “In fact, my feelings are quite the opposite.”
“Oh, how exciting! That is two engaged to be married, Mr. Bennet!” Mrs. Bennet gushed. “We will soon have three daughters married!”
Mr. Bennet, standing tall and strong in a dress shirt and slacks, smiled at his wife. “It does seem like we are quite blessed, Mrs. Bennet.”
“Okay, everyone!” Mayor Pembroke broke in.
She wore a satin cherry red corset embellished with iridescent heart-shaped rhinestones.
Her dress cascaded in a tulle skirt with LED fairy-light woven into it, giving off a gentle glow.
“It’s time for our traditional second-chance slow dance.
Those who find themselves back in each other’s orbit, come and share a dance. ”
I raised an eyebrow. “Traditional?”
Mayor Pembroke only smiled. “Of course! Traditions have to start somewhere. Now get in there and dance, you two.”
I offered Lizzy my hand. “May I have this dance?”
A soft smile curved on those lovely lips. “I’d love to.”
The lights dimmed, and the music swelled. And in that instant, it was only me and Lizzy swaying across the floor.
“This was beautiful, Darcy,” Lizzy said.
“I’m surprised you told my aunt you wouldn’t refuse my proposal.”
“How did you find out about that?”
“She came and informed me herself. After you refused her, she visited me to make sure I wouldn’t propose to you. Once I heard that you’d turned her down, I—well, it let me hope in a way I hadn’t dared let myself hope in quite some time.”
She brushed her lips across my cheek. “I’m glad you did.”
The warmth of her breath made me pull her a little closer. “I didn’t even ask you if you’re okay with becoming queen?”
“Your aunt may not think me worthy.”
“I think you’re more worthy than any fae queen who has sat on the throne. You are kind, compassionate, and fair. You are the perfect queen. And besides, with the way you stood up to my aunt, I’m not worried at all.”
The bass thumped beneath our feet, lights pulsing in soft Valentine’s Day reds. My hand settled at Lizzy’s waist, guiding her gently through the crowd as if she were the only person in the room.
A clever gleam entered her eyes. She leaned in, her breath brushing my ear, playful and daring—exactly the way she always unsettled me. “That’s another reason you fell for me, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?” I murmured.
“I didn’t pander to you like other girls,” she said, chin lifting with that familiar stubborn spark. “I was a challenge.”
I huffed a small, helpless laugh, my thumb tracing circles against her hip. “You were my game of chess I couldn’t win. But now I willingly admit that I have lost to you. Do be gentle with your king’s heart, because I am completely yours.”
Lizzy curled her fingers into the collar of my shirt, drawing me closer until our foreheads nearly touched, the club noise fading to nothing. “I have finally captured my king.”
The disco lights flashed like confetti around us, and my gaze lowered to her lips with reverence. My heart knocked against her palm, wild and surrendered.
“Checkmate,” I breathed.