by Beth Massey
She saw him galloping toward her and was unable to contain her smile. The fates had answered her prayer. She had sent her request to them because she feared it was sacrilegious to pray to God for your husband to arrive and poke you silly all afternoon. She hoped someday this debate for her soul would end. Perhaps, now that it appeared their activity had managed to result in procreation, God might accept that their obsession had been as ordained… and they had fulfilled the first obligation of marriage.
As he drew closer, she schooled her face into a glare. However, she had to concentrate to keep the laughter hidden.
He was having similar difficulty controlling his mirth, but he was wary when he saw her eyes shooting daggers his way. “I was worried so I came to fetch you. I do not want you to catch a chill.”
“Oh Will, you are still an insufferable man… always poking into my business. I do not need a nursemaid to care for me.” She used the word ‘poking’ purposefully to see his reaction. She noticed a poorly suppressed twinkle from her husband. He, who had so much practice wearing a mask, was struggling to carry out their charade.
He extinguished the twinkle and said, “Do not fight me Lizzy. My mission is to put you on this horse and take you home for some dry clothes.”
She brought a frown back to her face. “I am perfectly capable of waiting for the rain to stop and walking back to the house.”
His look was as resolute as she had ever observed. “No, you will do as I say. I remember you saying you would obey me. I am putting you on this horse.”
His words actually did annoy her a bit and the acting became less difficult. “And you are always saying we are partners with an equal say in what we do.”
“That is only true when you are rational. Lately you have not been as sensible as usual. Something has gotten into you; and until I have found out what I am taking care of you.” With that he dismounted, hiked up her skirt and set her down astride his horse.
As she sat waiting for him to mount, she realized his words meant he had guessed—he knew exactly what had gotten into her—he had put it there. His knowing was reassuring; and when he was behind her she leaned against him and sighed.
In that instant, he knew their play-acting was over. It had brought a rush of sorts as hoped for; but her sigh was somehow much more satisfying. His arms went around her as they had last summer and he picked up the reins. He whispered into her ear, “I think we should go to the cottage.”
“Yes, we should. Please gallop.”
He did, and within seconds she could feel his desire poking into rear. Despite the wind and the rain, he heard her say, “I love you Will. I believe I am with child. It will curtail our time alone, but I promise to do everything in my power to ensure what time we have together is particularly memorable.”
As he slowed to ride up the incline, he kissed and nuzzled the back of her neck. “Elizabeth, I have no worries you will abandon me, and you need have no fears either. You were correct. We are a partnership and we are able to talk about anything. I am so pleased you have told me of your suspicions. We will be wonderful parents. Together, we will teach our children the power of love.”
When they arrived at the stone cottage, they hurried inside and took off their wet clothes. Once in their robes and slippers, Will made a proposal. “Let us play a few games of chess while we are waiting for the rain to end. We are both wearing only a robe and slippers. I suggest that for each game one of us loses, we must remove an article of clothing. The first one completely disrobed must do whatever the other one suggests.”
His idea seemed simple. He put his watch on the table and said no move could take more than two minutes. Even this challenge did not cause her to lose confidence she would win.
They began to play; and as expected she won the first game. He removed one slipper. Elizabeth had always been very attracted to his long slender feet. She chalked it up to not paying enough attention when she lost the second game, and was forced to remove one slipper. The next hour saw both of them lose another game. They were down to just their robes. She won and he was forced to disrobe, and she was able to feast her eyes on the glory of his erection much as she had their first time in the cottage. Her attention was not on what he was saying, so she was startled when he said they had to have another game to determine the winner.
“But Will, you are naked and I am still wearing my robe. I won.”
“No, we must play one more game to determine the victor. I forgot a piece of apparel that I should have been wearing. Bear with me while I put it on.” He went into the nook where they kept supplies, and returned wearing a helmet just like the statue of Achilles.
Elizabeth started to laugh and could not stop. Every time she looked up and saw him she would make some noise of merriment… guffaws… chortles… giggles… and several snorts. Tears rolled down her face; and she was afraid she might have an accident if she did not stop laughing. She protested his obvious ploy to steal triumph from her, but finally agreed to one more game. She noticed it had stopped raining and his arousal was urging her to hurry outside to their swing. That is what she planned to demand of the defeated. She wanted to fly through the air with him inside her.
Unfortunately for Elizabeth she was distracted by both his big helmet-clad head and his very erect little head. Before she knew what was happening, she was being forced to remove her robe.
Without the slightest hesitation he said, “I win.” He quickly put on his boots, grabbed their robes and two towels and picked her up. He thrust their robes and the towels into her hands, and quickly carried her naked up the slope and away from the swing.
Halfway up the slope, she realized he was going to make her get into the pond. She was petrified. “Oh please, no Will. I do not know how to swim. I will drown.”
“You will not drown. I will never let you go. It is time you learned to swim. What if our child fell into the lake? Do you not want to know how to save him or her?”
His logic stopped her protests for a moment, but soon she was back with a renewal of her fear. “My mother did not know how to swim. I will always insist our children have a strong swimmer with them when they go down by the lake. Please do not make me do this.”
“This is about learning how to swim, but more important, it is about trust. I have promised you I will not let you go unless I know you are safe.”
She calmed and put her head against his chest.
He could still feel her shaking so he whispered his reassurance, “I love you, I love you, I love you.” Once they arrived at the pond, he put her down, took the robes and towels from her, removed his boots and the helmet and placed them on a flat rock jutting out from the edge. Bice was there enjoying the sun. The cat begged to be scratched and he spent a few seconds accommodating her. He watched as the mouser settled in to watch a new act in the play she had seen so many times the past year.
Elizabeth stood staring at the falls. He believed she might be praying. Picking her up, he walked into the pond in the area he knew to be the shallowest. The cooling effect of the water was immediately pleasurable against the heat of the day. He walked slowly toward the falls and the deeper end, stopping periodically to kiss her. With her eyes closed, she clung to him. When they reached a level where the water touched her, she moaned. For several minutes he just let the refreshing liquid caress her body. A wake was created as he turned around and around cradling her in his arms. He could feel her relax. The next time he looked at her face, her eyes were open and she was watching the sparkling water swirling around her.
The practical Lizzy spoke. “The coolness of the water feels nice in this heat. I suppose it is just a larger bathtub.”
“It is, and you must remember I will never let you go. Now, I am going to put you on your stomach and have you blow bubbles. I showed you how a few days ago in the tub, and you were quite good at it. Are you willing to try?”
With her eyes wide, she nodded. He held her tight as he put her in the water with that lovely bottom beckoning him
. It inspired him to make today’s swimming lesson just long enough to ensure she was comfortable in the pond, before he made love to her under the waterfall. As he had in the tub, he showed her how to put her mouth and nose under the water and blow. She giggled and declared the bubbles tickled. Though a sign of her growing trust, he knew she was not relaxed enough for him to let her go.
He moved his face to that perfect posterior and blew bubbles against her silky flesh. That caused her to turn to smile at his silliness.
When she saw the look of intense passion in his eyes, a shiver ran through her. The feel of being practically weightless in the water was exhilarating. She watched in amazement as he held her afloat with just one hand under her belly. When his other hand dipped below the surface and found her nipples, she returned his look of desire. The swimming lesson must be over.
Her buoyancy seemed to make it easy for him to caress her. He switched hands and his fingers moved to her folds. His act of fanning the water to create an eddy produced a delightful sensation as it swirled around her sensitive nub. But, she wanted her part of the touching and caressing. As the water was only up to Will’s belly, she was able to easily swing her legs to encircle his waist. Her action caused him to pull her tightly to his chest, and she, in return, grasped his neck. Her fingers found his still dry curls. Their kiss when it began was filled with heat. Hands caressed sides and shoulders. The hours of teasing chess had made her craving for him fierce. Her muscles were shaking in anticipation of the moment he would enter her.
As he prepared for his plunge, he walked toward the falls while she was still firmly wrapped about him. Once under the waterfall, the feeling of the water cascading down heightened their senses.
She played with his now wet hair, and licked the droplets of water from his chest and chin. Her legs dropped from his waist, but the buoyancy of the water kept them afloat. They were slightly parted and poised with anticipation before his erection.
He encouraged her to lie back before he moved her so the water from the falls fell on the v-shaped target she had provided to him. The pleasure in her eyes at the sensation of the torrent stimulating her sex soon became a desire for something more. She forced her legs under water and grasped his buttocks to push him toward her core. He heard her pant as she said, “I want you inside.”
With a whisper he told her, “Soon, my love, soon.” He was not quite where he needed to be. Walking in the water was easy as he made his way toward paradise. He caressed her waist and hips as he moved while she bestowed another fiery kiss. His destination was a stone worn smooth by the constant flow of water over its surface for centuries. The falls at this spot were more a gentle shower, and the flat cool surface against her back would provide the leverage needed for their joining. He put her in place and splayed her arms over the rock’s surface … their fingers entwined. Before he thrust, he moved to suckle her breasts with the tattoo of drops falling on them. He heard her whimpered, “Please, now—I am begging.”
It was time to obey his wife. Her hungry body clamped down on him with his first thrust. As the water teased above, over and over again he pushed himself away from her only to invade her with even greater strength. After several minutes of pounding her with a force that would have been painful without the lubrication the water provided, he knew she was about to climax. She whispered what he had often heard before to alert him. “Oh, oh, Will my toes are curling.” He felt muscles grab him with amazing power and then free him from their grasp. Her body began the flood of spasms, which signalled her fulfilment.
His release required only one last thrust. As he spilled into her, he clasped her to his chest, and thought of the first time they had made love. It had been below in the small stone cottage he had made ready for their pleasure. Today, he had kept his promise of that day. They had made passionate love with the water from this magical waterfall cascading upon their bodies. The day was made even more special by the strengthening of trust, and the shared knowledge of the baby in her belly.
25
LOVE IS ALL AROUND
Shortly after Elizabeth informed her family she was with child, the Darcys travelled to visit the Bingleys. Charles and Will planned to travel to London to meet with Mr Gardiner and their solicitors. Will had decided to become a shareholder in Bingley, Gardiner and Percy. The investment seemed solid. He had heard rumours that London was considering developing a proper sewer system. His best friend’s business seemed poised to take advantage of the innovation of this new age.
The Bingleys were leasing a house near the sea in Scarborough while a new one was being built on the estate Charles had purchased five miles away. After their husbands had left, Jane became uncharacteristically excited about showing something in the town to Lizzy. She insisted her sister arise early for their adventure and refused to allow her to eat breakfast. Within a short carriage ride they came to an area with very fashionable shops. The carriage pulled up to a storefront brightly painted in shades of blue, red and yellow. The sign over the door read ‘C’est Si Bon.’ The aroma wafting from inside was so scrumptious that it made the famished Lizzy almost faint. No morning sickness today.
Inside what was obviously a bakery, Max, Isabel and Susan greeted her. Max immediately recognized a woman in need of sustenance, and Susan immediately recognized a woman with child and Isabel recognized a very satisfied woman. They left their clerk to tend to the customers, and took their guests to the living quarters above the shop. The rooms were generous and beautifully furnished. Elizabeth was plied with her beloved croissants, delicious raspberry preserves and café au lait.
Elizabeth was startled when she discovered that Jane actually believed the story that Isabel and Susan were Max’s nieces, and they had attended Lizzy and Lydia’s wedding breakfast to help their uncle. Once again, she was struck by Jane’s inability to observe the truth about others. Her sister did not question why the two women had done nothing to help with the food. Nor, did she wonder why they had spent time dancing with some of the more notable men in attendance. Elizabeth chuckled at her sister’s faulty perception. She no longer felt the compunction to enlighten her rather oblivious sibling. In addition, she remembered the caution Will had given her about ever speaking of the relationship between Susan and Bella. He told her if the knowledge of their being lovers became known it could jeopardize their safety. As she remembered the events that had brought them to Teasewell House, the sadness they had endured, she saw the happiness in their eyes with their present circumstances, and her heart became filled with gladness.
Elizabeth watched the interaction between Max and Jane, and realized the man idolized her sister. He related to Elizabeth how Jane had wandered into the shop quite by accident, and had recognized him from her sisters’ wedding breakfast. “Her compliments to my baked goods and my French appreciation of her classic beauty sealed our friendship.”
Bella used the excuse of showing Elizabeth the rest of the apartment to arrange some time alone with her. “Elizabeth, you appear to be glowing with happiness.”
“I am, but I think part of the glow is from this.” She patted the bump in her belly and laughed.
Bella’s face radiated joy as she placed a hand on Lizzy’s swollen stomach, “I am so very happy for the two of you. He is a good man, and you are the perfect woman for him.” A few seconds later a shadow of concern crossed her countenance. “However, you must make sure you protect your happiness. You do remember what I told you about how to keep from becoming with child.”
When she saw Elizabeth nod her head, she continued. “I want you to have as many as children as you both desire, but I fear you might be taken from him. Childbirth is hard on a woman, and I know him… he would be lost without you.”
Lizzy saw the tears of concern in her friend’s eyes and kissed her cheek. “I remember. I keep a chart to record my courses, and old Dr Parton provides me with the potions you recommended. I constantly have to assure Fitzwilliam that all will be well. He believes his mother’s death—though
not a direct result—was hastened by Georgiana’s birth. It is true, I am much healthier than she was, but we do not want to tempt fate. We plan to be very modern and design our family. We will have four… two boys and two girls. They will be spaced exactly two years apart.” The thought of being able to accomplish such a feat brought on gales of laughter to the two.
When they had settled, Elizabeth continued with the topic. “My mother had five daughters and had quite given up both her hope for a son, and her pleasure in my father… preparing for my wedding and Lydia’s brought them back to each other… and then, lo and behold, my brother was born three months ago.”
Isabel smiled at the happy ending for Lizzy’s parents and remembered some glad tidings her friend might appreciate. “Susan is able to see her son now that we are in Yorkshire. About once a month, we go to Pickering and attend her brother’s church. Robert introduced her to Robbie and told him she was his aunt. They are slowly becoming good friends. It is not the same as being his mother, but she is content with the relationship. Besides, how could she condemn him to live with the knowledge that his grandfather was also his father?”
The tears started flowing, and the women embraced. They knew they had been away long enough and should get back to the others. Bella took Elizabeth to their bathroom so they could wash away the evidence of their crying. The original bathtub from France was there.
It did not look exactly like the ones Charles was manufacturing. To Lizzy’s eyes, it looked much older. The copper had turned a lovely shade of green. She asked about where they had acquired it and was surprised by the answer.
“Lord Colton… Lord Blessing now… had it imported from France for Susan. He said the one she had was not large enough to hold the two of them. It was this tub that gave Bingley his idea to make such a fixture.”
Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide with amazement. “Charles frequented Teasewell House?”