Change of Heart

by Tina Marie Noel

  Elizabeth felt invigorated to get away from the house, so she skipped and sang her way around the grounds.

  Darcy paced the breakfast room waiting for Elizabeth to appear. He had ceased thinking about her as Miss Bennet. She was now his Elizabeth. Where could she be? He was impatient to see her and could not stop thinking about the kisses they had shared the previous evening. She had felt wonderful when he held her in his arms and carried to her bed. Movement from outside in the garden caught his eye, and he crossed to the window. A smile spread across his face as he saw Elizabeth skipping down the path. She is as exhilarated as I am after our encounter last night.

  He strode into the garden to meet her. He approached her and bowed, “Miss Bennet.”

  “Mr. Darcy.” She returned his greeting politely.

  “Are you hiding again?” The smile in his eyes was infectious.

  “Yes.” She teased him.

  “Are you hiding from me?”

  “Naturally.”

  He chuckled and wrapped her arm through his before guiding her down the path, “What is your success so far.”

  “Zero.” Her eyes were turned down, but he could see a slight smile adorned her face.

  “Does that tell you something?” The intensity in his stare was tinged with humour.

  “I need to find better hiding places.” The impertinent retort slid lightly off her lips.

  He laughed easily before he stopped and turned her to face him, “No, you should have learned there is nowhere you can hide from me.”

  “Is that a challenge Mr. Darcy?”

  “It could be,” He walked her back toward the house, “Now, Miss Bennet, we shall have to get you something to eat otherwise you might be tempted take a bite out of me.”

  There was a sparkle in Elizabeth’s eyes as she responded, “I shall have to remember that for the future as it could be a very successful deterrent.” With a wicked grin, she pulled her arm from his and raced up the steps to the house.

  Darcy caught up with her by the top of the landing and pulled her towards him as passion ignited in his eyes. “One day in the future I shall remind you of your words. I will show you how much I would enjoy that.”

  Elizabeth was annoyed as she pulled away from him and moved towards the top of the stairs. He has no right to be so familiar with me. She turned to address the man stiffly, her anger boiling below the surface, “Mr. Darcy, I am going into breakfast now. I would appreciate it if, in the future, you would refrain from such displays of familiarity.”

  Darcy felt thoroughly chastened, and knew Elizabeth was correct to remind him of his duty. “Miss Bennet, please accept my sincere apologies for my unseemly behaviour. I beg you to remember you promised to write a note to my sister. I will be in the drawing room, when you finish breakfast, meet me there.”

  There was a flash of fire in her eyes, “I am not sure what time I shall be in the drawing room.” Her lips curved into a satisfied smile, “You may not want to wait for me.”

  After she had finished her meal, she checked on Jane who was awake and in better spirits.

  “Mr. Bingley is everything one could wish in a young man.” Jane smiled weakly, “He has been so attentive and has seen to it that his sisters or the servants make sure I have everything I need.”

  “Mr. Bingley is certainly a gem among men.” Elizabeth patted Jane on the arm.

  A couple hours later, Elizabeth slipped out of Jane’s room after her sister had fallen asleep.

  All the time Elizabeth was absent, Darcy paced in the drawing room getting more impatient with every minute.

  She made her way to the drawing room where she found an extremely disturbed Darcy standing at the window, his shoulders tight with tension.

  Relief flooded Darcy when he saw Elizabeth, and he returned to the writing desk where he finished his letter to Georgiana. Mr. Bingley and Miss Bingley were also there along with the Hursts. Elizabeth gathered the writing materials she would need and took a seat at the table.

  Elizabeth quickly wrote her letter. She started as she introduced herself and told the girl about her family. She asked questions about Miss Darcy’s favourite music, books and her studies. Elizabeth looked up as Caroline Bingley tried once again to gain Mr. Darcy’s attention by expounding on Georgiana’s gifts as an accomplished woman.

  Poor Miss Bingley is once again trying to get your brother’s attention by begging him to send you her regards. She has almost as much subtlety of a shotgun blast. I am sorry to pain you so but it is true. Oh no, she is coming this way, quick, please tell me what to do.

  “Why Miss Eliza, pray tell us whom you are so secretly writing to.” Caroline Bingley’s shrill voice grated on Elizabeth’s nerves and pushed her beyond the boundaries of polite society.

  “I do not remember inviting you into my business.” Elizabeth mocked her, “I might be wrong, but I am sure I did not ask for a nosy busy body to intrude on my morning.” The shocked look on Caroline’s face compelled Elizabeth into adding. “If you are looking for that kind of work you might try placing an advertisement in the local paper. I have no need of your services, thank you.”

  Miss Bingley sputtered in outrage and stiffly walked to the other side of the room where she muttered incoherently. Elizabeth thought she heard certain phrases, such as, ‘country little nobody’, ‘low connections’ and ‘family in trade’.

  Mr. Darcy caught Elizabeth’s eye and she shrugged her shoulders as if to say ‘She deserved it, and she gave me no other choice.’ Darcy nodded his head as he tried to hide his smile. He turned his attention back to his letter. When he glanced up, he felt satisfaction as he saw Elizabeth writing to his sister.

  Miss Darcy, you can tell me I should not have been so cruel to Miss Bingley just now, and I have no defence. However, I must say she has been provoking me to retaliate since the first time I met her.

  I hope you shall not find me too evil.

  Your Friend,

  Elizabeth Bennet

  She sealed the letter and quit the room, making her excuses as she left to check on Jane. Mr. Darcy caught her at the top of the stairs where she handed him the letter.

  “Thank you, I appreciate this and I know Georgiana will too.”

  Elizabeth saw something in Mr. Darcy’s eyes she could not define, and it made her nervous. She stepped back a few paces before he caught her hand. His voice was low and velvety smooth, “Miss Elizabeth.”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Darcy. I must go and see Jane.” She pulled her hand from his as she turned on her heels and hastily made her way to her sister’s room.

  Darcy watched her retreating back until she was beyond his sight. Damn, she is running from me again. When shall I learn not to pressure her? He sighed heavily and made his way back downstairs.

  It was a few hours later when Elizabeth agreed to locate Mr. Darcy for Mr. Bingley. She glanced around the library and found the gentleman asleep on the settee. She watched him while he slept, and she could not help but notice the smile on his face. I like it when he smiles and judging by his expression it must be an exceptionally pleasant dream. She walked to him, “Mr. Darcy.” He shifted in his sleep a little but made no answer. “Mr. Darcy.” This time she spoke louder and gently shook his shoulder.

  Darcy opened his eyes with contentment and pulled her down to him. “Elizabeth.” His voice was husky with arousal. Under the influence of a sensual dream featuring his Elizabeth, Darcy captured her lips and increased the pressure until her lips parted under his. He kissed her with a passionate hunger that claimed her as his own. He felt her respond and pulled her closer as he tasted the sweetness of her mouth with his.

  As she came to her senses, with a sharp intake of breath, Elizabeth tried to pull herself away from him. He was not inclined to let her go, so he wrapped his arms more possessively around her and lifted his head to claim her lips again. With all the strength she could manage, she wrenched herself backward away from his grasp. She accidentally pulled him with her. They fell to the floor en
tangled together. She found herself trapped against the hardwood floor by the full weight of him and she cried, “Mr. Darcy!”

  His eyes were wide with surprise, but he did not move as his sluggish brain tried to separate reality from his dream.

  “Mr. Darcy, please remove yourself from my person.” She commanded as she pushed against him with all her strength. He moved off her and he settled on his side to watch her.

  Elizabeth picked herself off the floor with great haste and ran from the room. Darcy stared after her disappearing form. He felt shocked and dismayed. He stood and surveyed the room as he tried to fathom what had happened. When the truth of what had just taken place flooded his mind, Darcy sat down in despair. He slumped over and cupped his head with his hands. Oh god what have I done? I have to find Elizabeth and explain. His heart quickened as he remembered the kiss. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her again, to hold her in his arms and receive the same passionate response. His head jerked up. Did he imagine the way she had kissed him back? No, he was sure he had not.

  With only one purpose on his mind, Darcy stood, walked across the room and exited with one thought. I must find Elizabeth. I cannot lose her. His heart lurched with the incredibly painful possibility of living without Elizabeth.

  He found Bingley in his study and asked, “Have you seen Miss Elizabeth?”

  “I saw her a little while ago when I sent her to find you.” Bingley answered, “But I have not seen her since. Darcy, I need to talk to you about…”

  “Sorry Bingley, I do not have time right now. I must find her.” He turned to leave the room.

  “What is it now Darcy, have you two had another fight?”

  “Not exactly but I do not have time to explain, I will see you later.” Darcy dismissed his friend distractedly.

  She is hiding, and I know she is not in the library or the study. He did not believe she would have gone to Jane’s room. She would have avoided the drawing room where Miss Bingley was likely to be in residence, so by a process of elimination, he concluded, she must be in the garden.

  He strolled out onto the grounds to search for Elizabeth. When he found her, she was down on her knees petting and scratching one of the stable dogs. He smiled before he cleared his throat to announce his presence.

  “Mr. Darcy.” She acknowledged him coldly as she stroked the dog.

  “Miss Bennet, I have come to apologize and explain what happened in the library. You see, when you woke me, I thought I was still dreaming and was caught up in the moment, so I kissed you.”

  “What could you possibly have been dreaming about that would give you the idea you had right to take those sort of liberties with me?”

  She watched him as he shifted nervously from side to side and his eyes would not meet hers. He stuttered as he tried to force out the words, “I was dreaming that...umm...”

  Elizabeth smiled, Mr. Darcy is at a loss for words. I never thought I would see the day. However, as comprehension dawned, Elizabeth’s smile faltered. Her eyes opened wide in shock. “You were dreaming about you and I... and... we were…” Her voice drifted off, she gulped and hugged the dog to her for comfort, “No please do not tell me, I do not want to know.”

  The dog shifted onto his back, and she began to rub his belly.

  “How I envy that dog right now.” His voice was light as he looked teasingly at her.

  Elizabeth could not pass up the opportunity to mock the man and used a baby voice, “Does Mr. Darcy want a belly rub?”

  She glanced up at him, he wore a wolfish grin and spoke in a low growl as he uttered impulsively, “Well we could start there and work our way to other more interesting places.”

  She stood up and made herself as tall as her small stature would allow. She stared at him with a withering glare that forced him to speak, “No decision needs to be made right now. We can discuss that later.”

  “I thought you had come to apologize to me and not only have I not heard an apology, but you made it worse with your ill attempt at humour.”

  He caught her hand and lifted it to his chest. He stroked the back of her hand, “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am, but I cannot.” As she watched him, her eyes were blazing with anger, “I have never been less sorry for anything in my life. Even in my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined the reality of kissing you. It was so much better than any fantasy my mind had created. You matched my passion with your own and showed me how delightful it could be between us.” His eyes roamed her hungrily, “I want the right to have you as my own.”

  Elizabeth was shocked at the turn of events, when she did not speak, he pulled her into his arms and looked down at her, “I want to ride to Longbourn and ask your father’s permission to court you.”

  “No.”

  The word struck him like a slap, “Why not.”

  “You have met my mother, correct.” The confusion on his face showed clearly, so she explained, “If you were to announce we were courting, all of our free will would be usurped. With your ten thousand a year income, my mother would have us married in a heartbeat. I have no intention of allowing anyone to make decisions for me, whether that person is my mother or you.” She pointedly emphasized the last word.

  “What do you suggest we do about this situation?” His body was tense as he waited for her answer.

  “The last few days have shown me I am not indifferent to you.” Darcy’s eyebrow rose at her understatement as he impatiently waited for her answer, “With that understanding, I will allow you to court me in secret so we can get to know each other without any pressure.”

  His body visibly relaxed and immediately acquiesced, “I agree.” His wolfish grin reappeared. He lifted his eyebrows suggestively as he asked, “With that settled, will you rub my belly now?”

  She pulled her hand from his, “You are incorrigible.”

  “And you are impertinent.”

  “What a fine pair we make.” She giggled and ran for the house with Darcy close on her heels.

  Darcy was at a loose end after Elizabeth had gone to check on her sister. It was still hours before dinner was to be served. He decided to use the time to practice table billiards. He was surprised to find Miss Bennet had appropriated the table first. He was mesmerized with her technique as she leaned down to make her shots. He just watched the fascinating scene in silence for a while.

  When she did not glance up to see him, he knew he needed to make his presence known and said with approval, “Miss Bennet, you seem to have grown quite accomplished with my stick.”

  “I have been playing with your balls as well.” Elizabeth quipped lightly.

  “No, the balls are Mr. Bingley’s.” Darcy’s eyes perused the table, “Just the stick is mine.”

  She looked down at the stick resting comfortably in her hands, “I can relinquish your stick if you would like to play with it yourself.

  “That is not necessary as I am enjoying watching you play with it.” Darcy replied with a wink.

  Elizabeth shook her head and returned her attention to the shot she was making. Darcy watched her as she completed a complicated bank shot that would have given him trouble.

  “You have surprised me once again, Miss Bennet.” Darcy voice held undisguised admiration, “I do not see many ladies who play table billiards and never have I seen one with your level of skill.”

  “As you are aware, my father has no sons.” Elizabeth explained, “He enjoys playing table billiards and wanted someone with whom he could play, so he taught me.” She laughed, “Although as I got older, my mother refused to allow me to play any longer because to use her words. ‘It was not very ladylike and I was far too competitive.’” Elizabeth winked at Darcy with an arch of her eyebrow, “With that understanding, would you like to play with me now, Mr. Darcy?”

  There was a spark lit in Darcy’s eyes at her words, “Competition has never deterred me, Miss Bennet and you will find I always rise to the occasion.”

  Elizabeth smirked at the gentleman as she began to rack th
e balls expertly. “We shall soon discover if that is true.”

  Darcy watched Elizabeth’s hands as she deftly completed the rack and he raised his eyes to her face, “Miss Bennet, you have a very nice rack.”

  Elizabeth’s grin widened mischievously, “I will let my father know that you approve.” She picked up Darcy’s cue stick, offered it to him with confidence, “Shall we play, sir.”

  Darcy ignored the proffered stick and picked a random cue from the wall. “I have no need of that as my skill transcends the quality of the equipment.”

  As the game progressed swiftly, Darcy realized they were both equally matched in proficiency. He was impressed by Elizabeth’s skill as he observed her execute difficult shots with ease.

  The score was tied. The next person to score a point would win the game. Darcy lined up his shot with calculated precision and during the backward motion of the stick, Elizabeth asked, “Mr. Darcy, how would you like that belly rub now?”

  Darcy’s head came up with surprise as her unexpected question distracted him. His arm jerked suddenly, and as a result, his shot was wide of the mark.

  Darcy was suspicious as Elizabeth voiced in an overly concerned voice, “What a shame, you missed your shot.”

  Darcy stared in disbelief as Elizabeth made quick work of her shot with accuracy and won the game.

  “You are very wicked, Miss Bennet.” Darcy smiled, and his voice was warm and full of admiration, “It was extremely devious of you to distract me during my shot.”

  Elizabeth shrugged, “It was not as though I did not warn you about my competitive nature. I do not like to lose, and I do not apologize for my behaviour.”

  Darcy’s eyes narrowed, “I demand a rematch, Miss Bennet.”

  “I am afraid that is not possible as it is time to dress for dinner.” Elizabeth was smug as she tidied up the equipment, “I shall have to take my leave of you until dinner.”