by Lauren King
Relief had never felt so good to Richard; not losing his friend and being able to contain his misunderstanding with Elizabeth was foremost on his mind. Under no circumstances was he going to allow Darcy’s troubles or engagement breakup to come true because of this misunderstanding.
“Darcy, I am truly sorry for what happened. I just did not think of it in Elizabeth’s terms. I honestly was only thinking about dancing with Miss Grace and when she expressed that she wanted Miss Juliet to dance also, I just asked you to do the favor because I knew that you knew her from years ago. I knew that you never thought of her in any romantic way. It was an innocent lack of thought on my part. It was not intentional. I adore Elizabeth; you know that. I think you two are perfect for each other. I would never deliberately come between your relationship in any manner. You know that, Darcy.”
“I do, Richard. I have also explained to Elizabeth that you never meant to ask me to dance with Miss Juliet with any intent other than as friends. Miss Juliet and her Mother are the ones who misinterpreted the intention. Elizabeth knows now that I never had any romantic inclinations towards Miss Juliet. She understands your mistake. I think it will take her a little time to rethink everything, and then she will truly forgive us. We were innocently stupid but when coupled with what she heard from Mrs. Barrington and your sister-in-law, it fueled Elizabeth’s anxiety about me. She knew there were many ladies at the party who were interested in me; therefore, it made her sensitivity even more pronounced. I accept my fault in my casual behavior in all of this. I honestly thought I was safe because I never acted any differently with Miss Juliet than anyone else, and I only looked upon her as the little girl that I helped years ago, nothing more.”
“Well, I, for one, am glad that Sarah was cognizant enough to turn down her Aunt to be involved with any of her scheming plans. Elizabeth cleverly informed Sarah of her cousin’s inappropriateness and that Elizabeth was no fool. I am glad she did that. Sarah should know that her involvement was improper. You have a very loving, beautiful, and possessive betrothed, there, Darcy. Lucky man!” Richard clapped Darcy’s back good-humoredly.
Darcy knows quite well he is a lucky man to have Elizabeth’s love and devotion. That is exactly what he wishes for in a wife – among other wonderful attributes which Elizabeth possesses in abundance.
CHAPTER 4
***************
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28th
In the crowded Gardiner’s foyer, Elizabeth, Jane, and Mrs. Gardiner meet the rest of the Bennet clan.
Everyone greets each other cheerfully and noisily. Elizabeth can tell that her Father just wants to get away from all the women’s noise; hence, she offers to show him where his room will be, but he says he knows where it is. Mr. Bennet just wants to rest his ears.
“I will be in Edward’s study until dinner if you do not mind Madeline.”
“Of course not, Thomas; you know where his study is.” Mrs. Gardiner smiles understandingly at Elizabeth while the noise of all the other ladies ensue.
Obviously, Mrs. Bennet and Lydia are the loudest in their complaints of the long, tiresome trip. Mrs. Bennet and Lydia speak and act as if nothing bad had occurred during Lydia’s wedding day. Jane and Elizabeth surreptitiously look at each other. Mrs. Bennet and Lydia’s greeting towards Elizabeth are tepid at best. They turn to Jane and greet her much more cheerily like she has never offended them before. Everyone notices this, but Elizabeth decides to ignore it. If Lydia remains civil and well mannered, then Elizabeth will tolerate it. She will not be seeing her family for quite a while after she is married, thus she will tolerate it as long as Lydia does not act up.
Mrs. Gardiner comes over to pat Elizabeth’s arm and gives her some words of encouragement; Mrs. Gardiner was told of why Elizabeth and Jane did not stay for Lydia’s wedding. She was shocked and very discontented with her sister-in-law and youngest niece when she heard what had happened. She could not believe their attitude and their treatment towards Elizabeth.
Elizabeth and Jane go into her Uncle’s study to talk to their Father. “Papa, here is some tea and sandwiches.” Elizabeth announces.
“Thank you, Lizzy.”
“Papa, Mr. Morgan’s parents are having a dinner party this evening and we have been invited. Uncle and Aunt have accepted to attend with me, Lizzy, and William, so if you and Mama are tired, then Mr. Morgan will understand that you will not attend. Perhaps when you are more rested then Mr. Morgan can call to meet you and Mama.” Jane says nicely.
“Would you like for us to come this evening, Jane?” Mr. Bennet asks jokingly. He knows that Jane is sincere with her worries that he could be tired from the irritating ride. Privately, he wonders if she could be worried about her Mother coming to this party and potentially embarrassing them in front of her possible future in-laws. Mr. Bennet will be adamant about Mrs. Bennet being as proper as possible so she does not drive away any suitors.
“Certainly, Papa; I just did not know if you would be up to it after your tiresome trip here.” Jane answers honestly.
“I was tired but with some rest before dinner, I think I will be able to muster through a dinner party to see and assess my eldest daughter’s suitor’s family. I have to make sure he is good enough for you.” Mr. Bennet smiles warmly at Jane and Elizabeth. These two girls are his most sensible, most caring, and most responsible daughters. It will be a great loss to him to give these two daughters away. Any gentleman would be fortunate to have them as their wife. He is very happy that they will be getting good husbands, especially Elizabeth.
Jane smiles tenderly then says, “Alright, Papa; I will leave you to some peace and quiet in here. I will let Mama know so she can be ready to go at six o’clock; the invitation is for seven o’clock.” Jane leaves the study.
“Lizzy, stay for minute; I want to talk to you about Lydia.”
“Yes, Papa.”
“Well, I assessed that Lydia could come to your wedding because she has been quiet about any complaints towards you and Jane – at least I did not hear of anything. I warned her already to be on her best behavior. She is not to talk about the circumstances of her rushed marriage. She knows that there would only be shame heaped upon her, and she would be ostracized if anyone found out about anything she went through. If she acts like a mature lady, then she will be treated as such. I will not tolerate anything else; I do not care if she is a married woman. If she does anything to spoil your wedding in any way whatsoever, then I will take this up with her husband, and he will not be happy with what I will do. I will recall all my assistance to them. I also told her that Mr. Darcy will be most infuriated if she ruins his wedding by irritating you. Mr. Darcy will take matters into his own hands, and I will not be able to help them. Sergeant Denny will bear the derision for her actions. I think that talk sufficiently scared her into being good.” Mr. Bennet is very unhappy that he has to explain this to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth sighs heavily before saying calmly, “Well, I guess threats may be the only thing that will work on her now. I still do not understand how she cannot see that her ways and her attitudes are not considered good or appropriate. However, as long as she is civil then I will tolerate her. Papa, I will leave you in peace for a little while before you have to dress for the dinner party. I hope Mama will be aware of how important this dinner is for Jane. Mr. Morgan’s family is not the Meryton crowd; they do not have titled relatives, but they do not belong in the Meryton assemblies either. I say that with the utmost respect, Papa.” Elizabeth is very glad to see that her Father is not offended with her comments. He nods while still looking directly at her.
“I am sorry that Mama never associated outside of her small sphere so that she can see that how she has been acting and talking is unacceptable to many others. I think if she was told or saw the adverse results of her ways then she would change; I truly hope she will. I do not mean to sound like I am lecturing, Papa. I just had to say that out loud because it is such an injustice for any of our family members to be looked down upon. I
hope you are not upset at me for saying these things.” Elizabeth says carefully and sadly; she would never want to upset or insult her Father.
“I am not upset, Lizzy. I have taught you to speak your mind respectfully, which you did. I taught you to stand up for yourself, assess your surroundings and its people, and be confident in your intelligence. Therefore, there is no reason for me to be upset at your evaluation here. It is partially my fault for not curbing your Mother more. I will need to do more, and I will do more.” Mr. Bennet admits to the glaring facts.
Elizabeth is glad that her Father has decided to exert more control. “I will leave now so you can relax for a little while, Papa.” She hopes that she truly did not insult or upset her Father.
Darcy enters the Gardiner’s foyer and Elizabeth is there to meet him with her sweet smile. She looks absolutely beautiful wearing a light green gown. This is one of her new gowns, and Darcy came with emerald jewels ready to be paired with it. Yesterday, he had asked her what color gown she was planning to wear, so when he found out, he brought her some of the Darcy emerald jewels. He knows that she does not have any jewelry to wear to these types of parties, so he felt that she should be able to wear the Darcy Jewels now since they will belong to her in three days anyways.
Once again, Elizabeth gasps at the stunning jewels. They are diamonds and various shades and shapes of emeralds situated to look like flowers, vines, and leaves that wrap around her neck, wrist, and ears. The matching ring is just as breathtaking, and the hair comb is unique. The brooch is radiant just like the other pieces of jewelry.
“Thank you, darling! You are too generous. I will be happy to wear them tonight. They are stunning! I cannot believe how pretty they are. Your ancestors had elegant taste in jewelry, indeed.” Elizabeth giggles as she takes William’s arm to walk to the sofa. “Please sit down, darling.”
“You really like them, dearest?” Darcy smiles widely and proudly.
“Absolutely!” Elizabeth brightens brilliantly.
“I know that you like your engagement rubies but will you wear these for tonight? They will look lovely on you.” Darcy states easily and genuinely.
“I do love my engagement rubies, but I would be happy to wear anything you give me. These emeralds match better with this gown, anyways.” Elizabeth cannot help her glowing, contented smile. She is lucky beyond her dreams.
“Yes, that is why I asked you yesterday about your gown color for tonight.” Darcy smiles triumphantly.
“You are very thoughtful; thank you, darling.” Elizabeth beams at William’s attention towards her. “Will you please help me put on my emeralds?”
“Of course.” Darcy stands behind Elizabeth to undo the clasp on her diamond ruby necklace. He can feel her soft, smooth, tantalizing skin that he just wants to suckle until his love marks are visible. God, he cannot wait for three more days!
For the first time, Darcy finds the Gardiner residence to be noisy and busy. Naturally, he knows that the rest of the Bennets are here for his and Elizabeth’s wedding so that is from whom the noise comes. He can hear Mrs. Bennet calling for Kitty to come back up stairs to help her finish getting Jane ready. Then Mrs. Denny screams out for Kitty to come quicker. The piano forte is playing in the background; Darcy guesses that Mary is practicing. He looks at Elizabeth, and he is glad that she is not part of the chaotic fray. She is calm and beautiful.
Darcy places the ruby jewelry inside the new jewelry box and then places each of the emerald jewels on Elizabeth. He is very proud to be able to do this for her because it looks very intimate. He is standing close enough to Elizabeth that he can smell the rose scent on her body mixed in with her natural clean body scent; it is intoxicating. His thoughts of kissing and suckling her entire body to show her how much he yearns for her come unbidden to mind. It would be very easy to mark her ivory skin – three more days!
Darcy tries to distract his longing mind. “How did you get ready so fast, dearest? The rest of the ladies sound like they are in an uproar.” Darcy asks casually as he helps Elizabeth with the jewelry.
“Aunt Madeline and Mary helped me; we started earlier because I knew all of…this would result.” Elizabeth gently waves her hand towards the noise of upstairs to indicate to what she is referring. She is still embarrassed for William to experience her Mother and the commotion that she causes in her presence.
Darcy smiles understandingly. He knows that Elizabeth is fond of a party and some dancing now and then, but she also craves peace and quiet in the household. He is very glad that in three days he will be able to provide that for her for the rest of her life.
They both walk to the nearest looking glass to admire the jewels – actually, Darcy is admiring Elizabeth; he could not care less about the jewels when there is his Elizabeth to gaze at.
“You look exquisite, dearest.” Darcy must have a taste of Elizabeth. He speedily looks around the drawing room to ascertain that there is no one else present, and then he bends down to kiss the nape of her neck; he suckles it gently, just enough for her to feel his tongue. He definitely cannot leave his love mark on her neck. In three days, he will leave it elsewhere, and then he will show them to her.
Shivers run down her spine when she feels William suckling her neck. His tongue is wet, soft, and luscious. She wants to experience more with William, but she knows they must stop; her family will come in very soon.
“Thank you, darling. They are lovely.” Elizabeth turns around swiftly to assess that they are alone, and then she leans upwards to kiss William’s lips hurriedly. She actually suckles his lower lip into her mouth, pulls on it, and releases it quickly. A kissing sound results and she is giddy about being bold. William said that he liked for her to express her love for him; consequently, she did.
Darcy’s deep ardor is activated with Elizabeth suckling his lip like that; she has become bolder with time, and he is thrilled for it. He cannot hold back in responding to her intimation; consequently, he grasps her face and promptly does the same thing to her. He lets her go swiftly and steps back a foot so that if anyone enters the room, they cannot criticize him for being ungentlemanly. He stares at her with his desirous, intense eyes, but he must stop or else everybody will know what he wishes for. She affects him more than she knows. He can see Elizabeth’s yearning too; it is a great pleasure to know that he has that kind of effect on her. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply to calm himself. If he keeps thinking about her gesture, then he will have a hard time keeping his lips from her and keeping a certain part of his anatomy from showing its affectedness. Certainly, that will not do, this evening, especially with her Father around.
“Dearest, it is very unfair for you to do that to me when we have no chance of having even one moment of privacy tonight.” Darcy playfully narrows his eyes at her.
Elizabeth giggles and then says quietly, “I am sorry, darling, but I had to thank you for my present and your lips have enticed me ever since you kissed me for the first time. I hope I did not offend you by being so forward.” She impishly smiles at William. Goodness gracious; she cannot believe how brash she has become with him. Ever since she allowed him to touch her bosom and her bottom a few days ago, she feels bolder. Moreover, he keeps encouraging her to be bolder, especially if it has anything to do with showing him her love.
“Offend? Never. You can offend me like that any time.” They both chuckle flirtatiously when Mrs. Gardiner walks in.
Elizabeth quickly turns to her Aunt. “Aunt, look what William just gifted me with. Are they not beautiful?” Elizabeth says joyously.
“They are stunning, Lizzy. Mr. Darcy, I have to say it again – you have sophisticated taste for jewelry.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Gardiner. My ancestors had these made so the credit goes to them.” They all chuckle.
At the same time that Mrs. Gardiner admires Elizabeth’s bracelet, Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Lydia, and Kitty walk in. Darcy bows to the ladies, and they all curtsy back.
Mrs. Bennet notices that Elizabeth has some ver
y expensive looking emerald jewelry on; she knows that they must be from Mr. Darcy. They are striking, indeed. Jane approaches Elizabeth with Kitty right behind her and compliments her new jewelry and then praises William for having such tasteful discernment for jewelry. Kitty concurs gleefully. Darcy modestly thanks Jane and Kitty.
At this point, Darcy can tell that both Mrs. Bennet and Lydia are envious of Elizabeth’s jewelry, but they hold their tongue. They must not have anything nice to say; therefore, they are keeping quiet for a change – thank the Lord!
Mrs. Gardiner decides to try to include Mrs. Bennet and Lydia. “Sister, Lydia, do you not think Lizzy’s jewels are exquisite?”
“Yes, yes.” Mrs. Bennet replies brusquely while looking over at Elizabeth with Jane and Kitty fussing over the jewelry. Mrs. Bennet always wants to show off Jane’s beauty over Elizabeth’s; therefore, she voices her idea. “Lizzy, Jane will wear your rubies; she does not have comparable jewels to wear tonight to show off to Mr. Morgan’s family. Jane put them on; we must not be late.” Mrs. Bennet makes the statement cavalierly and insensitively as if they are her jewels to lend.
Elizabeth’s eyes widen, and then she frowns at her Mother for her presumptuous command. Mrs. Gardiner and Jane are agape at Mrs. Bennet’s presumption. Darcy frowns with clear irritation at Mrs. Bennet’s crassness and rudeness.