CONTENT WARNING: ABUSE (not relating to Darcy and Lizzie's love life)

The Talk

"How could you?" Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was livid.

"I know I did something wrong!" He cried. "And I apologized!"

"Not. Properly." His uncle pinched his nose. "Is it true that you, more or less, implied that you wouldn't change?"

"What do you-"

"Did you tell her that you would try to accept her choices and her friends and the way she runs her life?" He explained. "Yes you are her husband, but if my marriage has taught me anything it is that you must let her make her own decisions and when she does, you must be behind them. It is rather revolutionary, but I have discovered that your fiancée will be much happier if you let her be herself. Any other woman you have met would be fine with the way you were raised to treat a wife. But Elisabeth is not a normal woman. She is…" he sighed then smiled. "She is Lucy when we first met. And believe me, your aunt and I had our fair share of arguments." He gave Darcy a cold stare. "Like this one." He added pointedly. "And every time I realized that the world is changing. Yes, women are weaker than us. But Lucy has proven time and time again that she is just as intelligent as I am."

William scoffed. "But-"

"But nothing." His uncle snapped, angry at the young man. "If you do not change you will lose her. She will leave. She is not the type of woman to sit and let herself be treated like you imagine a marriage is."

"My father was a good husband." Darcy tried. He believed it. His father was not a good man, no. But he was everything a husband should be; Firm, decisive, a provider and those are the things that make a good husband.

"Your father was only a good husband because your grandfather found out he was abusing your mother." He snapped then sighed. "It was right before you were born. Your mother was scared because your father said that having you would have mandated that he stop seeing his lovers and he tried to push her down the stairs."

"But he was always so-"

"Darcy, your father was a miserable man. And he wanted everyone to be miserable as well. Your mother was better than he was. And she was the light at Pemberley." He sighed. "Your mother was good. And you should not take after your father."

"All things aside Darcy," Richard sighed, "women have an… intuition about things. They know things. Things we men cannot understand. You need to-"

There was a knock on the study door and it slowly opened. "William?"

Lizzie opened the door and saw three males looking at her. "William?"

William shifted in place. "Yes?"

"May I—that is, is this a bad time?" She stuttered.

"Uh, no. no it isn't. They, um-"

"We were just leaving." Richard pulled his father out of the room and left them alone.

The door closed and left the two of them standing. Elizabeth shifted in place and played with ribbon under her bust. She went to say something and closed her mouth.

"Please, Elizabeth." He whispered. "Please say something."

"Things need to change. And," she bit her lip before continuing, "You need to learn how to respect my decisions. You need to know that I know what makes me happy. And you need to realize that I have been alone for so long and have become so used to doing things a certain way. I am who I am, William." She felt a tear slip down her cheek. "And I cannot change. So if you cannot accept the person that I am, then I do not know if I…" she took a gasping breath and the tears poured out. That was it. She could say nothing more.

"I understand." Darcy reached out before dropping his hand against his leg. "I know now that you are right. I am, after all," he took a breath and made his choice, "my mother's son. And that means," he reached forwards and took her hands off her face, brushing a few locks that had stuck to her wet cheeks aside so he could cup as much of her face as his hands would allow, "that you are perfect just the way you are." She stared up at him with her eyes wide. "And I hurt you. And now I understand. I understand and I am sorry." He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her.

He was so very warm, and he made her feel so safe. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be alright?"

"Because you seem different." She looked up at him, her eyes finally dry.

"I learned something today. And it made me appreciate you. So please, please say you forgive me."

"I forgive you." She says sadly, before smiling for the first time in what felt like forever. "Until next time."

"Next time?" He looked at her sadly. "I don't want there to be-" He saw her smiling. "Can we promise each other something?"

"What?"

"Can we, in the future, air our grievances as they happen?"

"That would be advisable." She nodded.

"My aunt told me that she is going to help with the wedding."

"She is. I like her very much."

"And she likes you."

"Well then, welcome to the family."

"Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too."

I fell like this ending is a cop out. Is it a cop out?
~MNINOB