by Lauren King
“Unless you are the one that does not want me, otherwise, I will not back away from us.” Darcy declares with conviction.
Elizabeth affirms, “As long as you will always love only me, I will never back away from us.”
Darcy states loyally, “Thank you for always trying to sacrifice your happiness for me, but I will not allow it. Please, do not say such things to me again. I love you very much; that is why I will also offer you the same thing. If you feel that you have changed your mind, then I will, agonizingly, release you from our engagement. You only need to tell me. Is that not fair and reasonable of me, Lizzy?” It is Darcy’s turn to tease his betrothed.
Elizabeth pouts endearingly, “No. I do not like your fairness and reasonableness. I am not ever going to change my mind about us.” Elizabeth frowns adorably as she crosses her arms across her chest which makes William smile.
“Well, now you know how it sounds to me when you make those comments to me, right?” Darcy smiles smugly but dotingly. He would never back out from their marriage.
Elizabeth continues to pout sweetly.
Darcy stares at her luscious, red, pouty lips; he wishes that they had some privacy right now. “I will always love you; that is all there is to it. I have never been interested in any other young lady as I am interested in you. I have never pursued anyone as I have pursued you. I want you to be my wife – no one else. Do you understand, Lizzy?” Darcy is firm and unambiguous.
Elizabeth replies softly but with apparent happiness. “Yes.”
“Can I see your beautiful smile now?”
Elizabeth beams with joy and displays her radiant smile for William upon hearing his request.
“I love you.” William says most lovingly. To him, she is the perfect wife. He cannot wait until they are married so that he can freely show her his love – in private, of course.
“I love you so much.” Elizabeth pronounces most adoringly.
As they continue their walk, Elizabeth says, “I was offended in your stead when I overheard that conversation. I think I know you well enough to know that you would not act in such a manner. I think Miss Sophia Ellington must be much more naïve than she looks; at the dinner, she looked confident and sharp. Nevertheless, I had to consider the possibility that you still were interested in her, however slightly. I did not want to consider it, but I had to in order to cover all the facets of why she would have interpreted your actions as such.”
“Well, you know the truth of it now, right?” Darcy wants to be certain that Elizabeth understands his intentions and actions.
“Yes, I do. Thank you for explaining it, darling.” Elizabeth answers with satisfaction.
“Lizzy, you must remember that I have only ever loved you; I have loved no one else.” William says ardently.
“I will remember that. I love you so much, and it hurt for me to consider that you might be interested in someone else.” Elizabeth softly pouts.
“Never; you know that resolutely, now, right?”
“Yes.” Elizabeth smiles widely at William and squeezes his arm in delight.
“All right, then; no more of this sacrificing on your part. I will not allow it. I will never voluntarily change my mind. You will be my wife forever, and I will love you forever. Please, remember that.”
“I will; I love you.” Elizabeth reaffirms blissfully.
The Gardiners gladly leave Elizabeth and Jane at Darcy House so they can visit longer. Before they leave, Darcy presents two very large painted wooden soldiers to Alexander and Nicolas as Christmas gifts. Georgiana gives Athena a pretty pink bonnet with colorful flowers. The kids are thrilled with their gifts; they gleefully thank the Darcys’. Elizabeth is touched that William and Georgiana did such a nice thing for her little cousins. She can tell that William will be a very loving and caring father.
The four young people enjoy their time together at Darcy House playing the piano forte, playing chess, putting together jigsaw puzzles, and playing cards with each other. Darcy teaches the three young ladies how to play ‘Vingt-et-Un’ also called ‘Twenty One’ where the players are dealt two cards each and are allowed to pick additional cards to try to get as closest to the value of 21 as possible without exceeding that value so that they can beat the dealer. They have a lot of fun when real money is involved.
Darcy asks Elizabeth to stay for dinner. “Naturally, I will invite Jane too, dearest. I would like it very much if I could spend this Christmas evening with you. I already miss you just at the thought of you leaving later.”
“I would like to stay, darling, but I do not have a change of clothing for dinner.” Elizabeth responds happily.
“You look beautiful in this pretty blue dress. It will only be the four of us, anyways. You do not need to change.” Darcy expresses his opinion decidedly.
“Are you certain that it will be acceptable, darling? I do not want Georgie to think that Jane and I are inappropriate.”
“Lizzy, trust me; Georgie is not going to think that at all. She will be thoroughly delighted if you two have dinner with us; she will not care what you wear. She and I usually eat alone or with Richard and his family, thus additional company would only please her very much. Will you stay?”
“Yes, I will stay; let me send a note to my Uncle and Aunt to let them know.”
Dinner is scrumptious, and Elizabeth enjoys all the dishes. Everyone talks about all sorts of subjects. Darcy tells the ladies about his visit to Europe when he took his Grand Tour right after he graduated from Oxford. They soak up the descriptions and information about France, Switzerland, and Italy, especially Elizabeth. Elizabeth has always wanted to travel. She does not care where she travels; she just wants to see new places. She understands that a tour like William’s is only done by young men; therefore, she has dreamed of traveling with her husband. She hopes that one day she will travel with William; that would be an ideal dream come true.
After dinner while they enjoy Georgiana’s playing on the piano forte, Darcy tells Elizabeth that they will travel throughout Great Britain after they are married when the weather is better. They will also travel to Europe if relations are better between Great Britain and Europe. Elizabeth is thoroughly delighted to hear this. She could not think of traveling with anyone else other than William. Her ideal dream will all come true, soon! She is giddy with happiness.
As they get ready for William to escort Elizabeth and Jane back to the Gardiner’s residence, William approaches Elizabeth and happily hands her a gift box.
“Thank you, Darling. I do not have a fancy Christmas gift for you.” Elizabeth figures that it contains jewelry of some sort.
“I do not need a Christmas gift; I only need your love.” Darcy claims most warmheartedly.
“You already have all my love.” Elizabeth responds with the greatest assurance as she caresses his cheek boldly.
“Then, that is all I need and want.” Darcy tweaks her nose playfully as he kisses her palm. “Open it, dearest.”
Elizabeth opens her reticule and takes a small package out and says, “I do not have a fancy Christmas gift for you; it is only a little something. I know you have plenty of others, but I hope you like these.”
Elizabeth hands William the small package that she wrapped with pretty flower paper. “We can open our presents together if you like.” Elizabeth smiles joyously with enthusiasm.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I never expected a Christmas gift. This is very precious of you.” Darcy expresses appreciatively. “Let us open our presents together, then.” Darcy states joyously.
They open their presents carefully. Elizabeth unties the pretty pink bow and inside the box sits a beautiful pendant necklace of diamonds and rubies again. However, this time it is a single round ruby hanging from a gold chain with small round diamonds spaced at one inch apart for the entire length of the chain. Obviously, the ruby is large – similar in size with her engagement ring.
“Do you like it, Lizzy? I thought this necklace would be simple enough for you to
wear daily.”
“It is lovely, darling! Thank you!” Elizabeth shines with pleasure and appreciation at his tremendous generosity.
“Would you like me to put it on for you?”
“Yes, thank you, darling, but you have not finished opening your present yet.” Elizabeth hopes William likes her two handkerchiefs. She took a lot of time to embroider the best flowers she could.
“They are very pretty, dearest; thank you.” Darcy says genuinely, and then he puts the handkerchiefs to his face to smell them because he can detect a rose scent that Elizabeth wears daily. It will always remind him of her.
“I put some rose scent on it. You said you like that smell when I wear it.” Elizabeth explains bashfully as her upper teeth hold her lower lip under it.
“I do; now, I will always have something of you on me every day to remind me of my lovely, beautiful fiancée. Thank you, sweetheart.” Darcy kisses Elizabeth’s cheek in appreciation.
“You are very welcome, darling.” Elizabeth openly reaches out quickly to caress his left cheek lingeringly.
Darcy gently cups her face to kiss her tantalizing lips. She is too tempting; he could not help himself. He slowly grasps her waist to pull her body into his tight embrace. It feels very satisfying to hold her; she belongs in his embrace. The kiss is just as spellbinding as their first kiss, and they both revel in it. He has to stop before they are found out; that would be embarrassing. He releases their kiss gradually; afterwards, he kisses her forehead and then pulls away. He sees that she is entranced by their ardent kiss because she is blushing and breathing faster than normal. Her lips are beautifully red from his suckling.
Darcy gives her cheek a last kiss before saying, “Now, let me help you put on your necklace.”
She shyly hands the necklace to William, and then she turns around for him to clasp it on. When he is done, she feels his open-mouthed kisses on the nape of her neck! Thrilling! Tingles and shivers run up and down her body pleasurably; she savors the delightful sensations of love and adoration. Then, he clasps both of her upper arms with his strong hands from behind as the front of his body is touching the back of hers, and then he kisses the back of her head. She takes advantage of this position to clasp her hands over his hands. Standing like this makes everything seem intimate, and she feels cherished. They stand still for a few seconds before he reluctantly takes one step away from her, and she turns around to ask cheerfully, “How does it look, darling?”
“You make it look extraordinary. There is a looking glass at the wall. Come and take a look.”
They both look at the looking glass as Darcy continues to stand behind Elizabeth with his firm hold on her upper arms. The necklace is eye-catching when it sits right in the middle of her bosom. Darcy’s imagination runs away with him. Good Lord, her smooth, creamy, white skin is like a perfect background for the ruby to sit on. Particularly, he would like to kiss that skin. Goodness gracious! He has to stop thinking about her luscious body.
“Thank you, darling. It is remarkable.” Elizabeth turns around to look directly at William and says, “You are so very generous to me. Thank you for my gift.” Elizabeth tries not to think about William’s kisses or else her pulse will speed up again.
“You are most welcomed.” Darcy replies kindly with his smoldering smile.
Afterwards, an astonishing thing occurs; Elizabeth leans in to grasp his upper arms tightly before quickly kissing Darcy’s lips. Once she releases him, she entwines her hands together and looks down to the floor shyly.
Darcy is dazed with pure pleasure at her gesture. When he sees that she is quiet and standing still, he breaks from his dream state and quickly holds her arms gently and says, “Dearest, do not be so shy. You do not know how much I have been wishing for your kiss; I am truly honored you bestowed it upon me.” Their last two kisses on the lips were his initiation; this is the first time she kissed him voluntarily.
“I love you.” Elizabeth says bashfully. She has never initiated a kiss on the lips with any man before. She is thrilled that her first was with William; she could not imagine it with anyone else.
“I love you so dearly, Lizzy. You cannot imagine the depth of my love for you; it is even beyond what I have ever dreamed of.” Darcy states contentedly.
Elizabeth smiles gratifyingly as she touches his cheek amorously.
CHAPTER 12
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26th
Elizabeth and Jane chat with each other regarding their perceptions of Mr. Morgan and Mr. James. The sisters giggle like they did in the past when they talked about their ideal husbands. Elizabeth’s dreams are coming true; she will get the best husband. She is wholly grateful and utterly joyous to have someone like William love her.
“Do you have an inclination towards any gentleman, yet Jane?” Elizabeth asks playfully.
“They are both certainly very nice. They both spoke kindly and amiably. William said that Mr. James is six and twenty and is the eldest son with three younger brothers. He was not always the most responsible and attentive son; he played around and traveled all around Great Britain after he graduated from Oxford. However, after that year he matured much more. I figure he took full advantage of his family’s wealth and enjoyed himself when he was young. When we met, he sounded very nice.”
“As for Mr. Morgan, when I spoke to him, he sounded very mature and very responsible with everything. He is the same age as William, and he graduated the same year as William from Oxford. William said that his family wealth is notable, and he has one older and one younger brother. He is a barrister; no wonder he sounds very logical and intelligent. He is considered an astute talent headed for great things in the future. He is rather handsome too – just as Mr. James is. How did you find both gentlemen, Lizzy?”
“Well, it sounds like you have two very good candidates there.” Both sisters giggle cheerfully. “Both gentlemen are definitely nice. I do not know them well yet, thus I cannot say who is a better fit for you. I think you will surely see these two gentlemen again when we go to the two New Years balls this week. Undoubtedly, they will ask to call upon you again this week if they have a good visit with you today. You will just have to consider whose personality you get along with better. Did you have any awkwardness with them about anything?”
“No, I do not think so, but you know I am inherently quieter in a group. I tend to keep to myself and listen more.”
“Yes. Well, you will have more time to devote to visiting with these gentlemen today. Perhaps, you will get a better sense for who you like more as you talk and listen to them more. Do you have any partiality towards any of the other gentlemen that you met at the ball?”
“On a purely, first attraction viewpoint, I thought Mr. Northrop was quite handsome, did you not Lizzy?”
“Yes, he was handsome. However, honestly, I do not think any gentleman is as handsome as William. In the entire ball, I could not say that I saw any gentleman more handsome than my William. Moreover, I was not the only young lady admiring him. Did you see how all the ladies were glancing discreetly our way at one time or another?” Elizabeth giggles gently.
“Yes, I noticed some.” Both sisters giggle again. “I have to admit that William is very handsome; therefore, it is no wonder that all those ladies glimpsed his direction, now and then.” Jane imparts her opinion.
“I am certain that some of them were hopeful that they could be Mrs. Darcy. When they heard me introduced as his betrothed, I was sure they wanted to throw daggers at me.” Elizabeth says with mock irritation and then laughs out loud along with Jane.
Afterwards, she tells Jane about her perceptions of Miss Sophia Ellington, but she does not tell Jane about the overheard conversation in the Matlock’s gallery. Since it involves William directly, she does not want to relay any of his personal information to anyone unless he consents to it. He is a private person; hence, she does not think he would like for anyone to talk about him in such a manner even though Jane is absolutely trustworth
y in her discretion and will never repeat what she has heard from Elizabeth. Nonetheless, Elizabeth still does not want anyone to learn such personal knowledge about William. Elizabeth is the same way; therefore, she understands. She imagines that once William is her husband and he knows Jane much better, then he will not mind if she talks to Jane about certain personal things.
“Well, no one else except my lovely sister will be Mrs. Darcy because it is apparent as daylight how immensely William adores you.” Jane teases and then both sisters giggle gaily.
Elizabeth is elated that others can see William’s love for her, and she is certain that everybody can see her love for him.
“Mr. Northrop looks to be a charmer. He is the type of person who knows that he is attractive, and he uses his charm to its fullest effect. His conversations are eloquent and rather flattering.” Elizabeth tilts her head to the side and slightly squints her eyes and nose in thought before saying, “I just did not know which of his compliments were genuine. He sounded nice but I am…wary of him. There are very attractive men who do not impart that sort of impression about themselves. Perhaps, that is his personality; he is outgoing and not quiet like William. What did you think of him, Jane?”
“I agree with you. Your assessment is spot on. He complimented my beauty several times, and I could not do anything except to smile and to thank him softly. I was uncomfortable; it made me even quieter.”
Both sisters continue to talk of how they enjoyed Sir Thomas’ Ball. Jane sadly brings up the fact that she still will be at the mercy of Lydia’s shame if Sergeant Denny decides to be dishonorable and not marry her soon.
“Oh Jane, Papa and William will not allow it to get to that. William has told me that he will do whatever he can to assure that we are not adversely affected. I keep praying that Sergeant Denny is not a dishonorable, scheming man. Let us hope Mr. Morgan and Mr. James will be able to see the good side of things and concentrate only on you.” Elizabeth teases as they giggle again.