“Actually, it is a gift from my mother for my wife,” Darcy added quickly. “The diamonds and emeralds are almost as superb as is Elizabeth. Do you not agree, Miss Bingley?”
Caroline could barely disguise her disgust.With nothing more than a nod of her head and a curtsy, she made her exit.
“Fitzwilliam Darcy,” Elizabeth teased,“you are almost as evil as is my father.You enjoyed Miss Bingley’s humiliation.”
“And you did not, Mrs. Darcy?”
“I am afraid I am my father’s daughter—I truly enjoyed seeing Caroline in misery.You married a shallow woman, Mr. Darcy.You still have time to ask for an annulment if I offend you.” Elizabeth leaned in closer for a quick kiss.
“Do you expect me to consider an annulment when you tease me with your nearness?” Darcy was lost to her alone.
“Then you must suffer forever, Sir. It is my intention of always teasing you with my closeness.” Elizabeth brushed his lips with hers.
“May we leave soon, Elizabeth?” Darcy’s voice was shaky with anticipation.
“I do believe we should say our farewells, Fitzwilliam.” Her voice betrayed her feelings for him. “We have a long drive to London. Come, Love, let us circulate about the room before we leave.” Taking his hand, Elizabeth led Darcy from one cluster to another to bid her neighbors and friends adieu.
At last, they came to Jane and Mr. Bingley. The sisters hugged for a long time, and both fought back tears.“I will miss my nightly talks with you, Jane,” Elizabeth whispered.
“We may write often, Lizzy—long letters of our lives.”
“Our husbands may find our postage expenses extreme,” Elizabeth tried to laugh and to lighten the moment.
“Bingley,” Darcy interjected, “I would like to have a small party at Pemberley at New Year’s. Would you and Mrs. Bingley be our guests?”
“Oh, yes,” Elizabeth added quickly.“The Festive Season will be coming to an end, but Pemberley will still be fully decorated. Please, Jane, I want you to see Pemberley.”
“It would be nice to be away from the full house we should have at Netherfield,” Bingley added cautiously while looking directly at his sisters and Mr. Hurst.
“Your coming to Pemberley will be a good excuse for everyone’s departure,” Darcy agreed.
“Then we will see each other at New Year’s,” Elizabeth chimed in. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam. Thank you, Mr. Bingley. You made Jane and I happy brides today.” They exchanged pleasantries, and the couples parted to begin their new lives.
Elizabeth made her final goodbye to her family as the trunks were loaded onto Darcy’s coach; Darcy moved away to find his sister.“Dearest One,” he took her in his arms,“I will miss you.”
Georgiana smiled at him. “You should not be thinking about your sister, Fitzwilliam. Think about Elizabeth; love her, and be happy.” Her hug expressed her hopes for his future. Elizabeth came over to join them; Georgiana turned her attention to her new sister. “Elizabeth, your being part of our family makes both my brother and I richer in what matters.”
Elizabeth hugged the girl she accepted from their first meeting. “We will soon join you at Pemberley.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam offered his “best wishes,” and then Darcy and Elizabeth boarded his coach to leave for London. Elizabeth watched out the coach’s window until none of Longbourn or Meryton could be seen. Darcy took her hand and kissed the palm, no words needed between them.
CHAPTER 20
“We neither of us perform to strangers.”
They spent twenty minutes in complete silence; Elizabeth already missed the security of her family; Darcy searched for a way to allay her fears. Eventually, she did the characteristic shift of her shoulders, the one that told Darcy she was ready to meet the challenge of being his wife and the mistress of Pemberley. She turned to him and met his eyes. “Fitzwilliam, how large is Pemberley?”
The question stunned him, not expecting her to evaluate his land. He moved beside her on the coach’s bench.“Do you want an estimate or do you require the surveyor’s specifics?”
She waved her hand to let him know she had not worded the question well, and he should ignore the wording. “What I would like is to learn to ride a horse well. Could I have my own horse? I want to ride out with you; I do not want to be without you; may I have my own horse, Fitzwilliam?”
More vulnerable than he ever saw her, Darcy knew the horse symbolized her fear of being Pemberley’s mistress, but he did not say so. “It would give me pleasure to choose a horse for you. We have many already in the stables at Pemberley, but we may choose another if you find nothing you like.We will buy you appropriate riding clothes while in London. Do you know anything about how to ride?”
“I have ridden Papa’s horse, but not well, not like I want to ride. I want to be free to see all of Pemberley.”
“We will find you the right horse, Elizabeth.” He tapped her chin with his index finger, and she weakly smiled up at him.
“Elizabeth, we will be fine.You are one of the strongest people I know.”The tears started to flow, and he knew not what to do.“Elizabeth, please, I cannot bear to see you sad.”
After several loud sobs, she said,“I am not sad, Fitzwilliam; I am the happiest I have ever been in my life.”
“Then why are you crying?”
She snuggled into his chest. “I do not know why I am crying; you married a foolish woman.”
“Elizabeth, foolish or not, I love you with every ounce of my being.”
She looked up at the man she chose as her husband,“I love you, Fitzwilliam. I really love you.” His mouth smothered hers with a kiss long, hard, and passionate. The kiss threw a shadow over any preconceived ideas of love; they melted into each other; an astonishing amount of everything they ever knew disappeared in the new knowledge of each other.
Reluctantly, he stopped the kiss, but he did not release her from his embrace. “Elizabeth,” he could barely breathe, “I do not wish our first time to be in this coach, but I swear if you kiss me as such again, I will not guarantee my ability to resist you.”
“You can not resist my arts and allurements,” she traced his chin line with her fingers; then she giggled. “Lady Catherine warned you of my ability to trap you, Mr. Darcy, but you would not listen to her advice.” Elizabeth nibbled on his lips.
Darcy joined her tease; it was a way to still enjoy her closeness without abandoning social norms. “Although she is quite obstinate, my aunt is a wise woman.” Darcy pulled her closer and kissed the side of her neck, rubbing his lips against her skin.
His action had the desired effect.“Maybe we should . . . talk for a while,” she said, feeling a bit out of control herself. She sat up and looked lovingly in his eyes.
Darcy breathed deeply and resettled himself in the carriage, but he never let go of her hand. His fingertips massaged the lifeline leading along the palm of her hand.
“There is something I did want to discuss with you, Elizabeth.”
She caught a glimmer of seriousness in his tone and turned to receive his address.“I planned to discuss this later, but it will give you time to ask questions.Your father agreed to a jointure, a way Pemberley will remain with you if something should happen to me.”
“Fitzwilliam, please do not talk as such!”
“It is a fact, my Love; if nothing else, I am a practical man. I want to teach you all the aspects of the running of Pemberley. Many will not understand my doing so; it is not characteristic for a woman to assume such responsibilities. Besides you and Georgiana, there is nothing I love more than Pemberley. It must survive; if Pemberley lives, so does my family’s name.You must promise me you will help me save Pemberley.”
“Fitzwilliam, are we in a position where we could lose the estate?”
“No, not financially, but the times change. Men leave the land for the city every day. I need someone who shares my dream for Pemberley.That is one of the reasons I never chose to marry before now. I needed a mate whom I could trust wi
th my family’s legacy.”
“I will do what you want, Fitzwilliam. People will simply have another reason to offer up censure on our behalf, but that will not change what we do for our family.You teach me, and I will share the knowledge with our children; Pemberley and you are my home now.”
He cupped her face in his hands.“I trust you with my heart, my soul, and my name.” His kiss this time held flashes of trepidation as well as hope. When she opened her eyes, he still cupped her face, and his forehead rested against hers. She reached up and took both of his hands in hers.“You have my heart,” she kissed his fingertips, “my soul,” she pulled his hands around her waist and moved in closer,“and I bear your name.” Elizabeth returned his last kiss with one full of her strength and her determination. Afterwards, she rested her head on his shoulder while he stroked the side of her face.They rode for nearly an hour in quiet contemplation of what their life together would bring.
The coach pulled up in front of his Kensington Place home. He alighted and then dismissed the footman with a wave of his hand. No one would assist his wife but himself. Elizabeth took his arm and looked up lovingly into his eyes.“Are you ready?” he whispered, and Elizabeth nodded her head in affirmation. They entered the house knowing their lives would never be the same after this evening.
The butler met them at the door.“Good evening, Mr. Darcy; it is good to see you safely at home, Sir.”
Handing the man his greatcoat, hat, and walking stick, Darcy turned to his servant.“Thank you, Mr.Thacker. It is good to be back at Kensington Place. Mr.Thacker, may I present my wife Elizabeth.”
“Mrs. Darcy, the staff extends its congratulations.Yours and Mr. Darcy’s happiness brings joy to us all.We wait on your desires.”
“Thank you, Mr.Thacker.” Elizabeth blushed with the realization the staff knew this was her wedding night.
“Your rooms are ready, Sir. I will have the trunks brought up.”
“Thank you, Mr. Thacker. We will have dinner in about an hour. I wish to show Mrs. Darcy around the house first.”
“Yes, Sir.” Mr.Thacker bowed and made his exit.
“Let me show you some of the downstairs rooms, Elizabeth, then we will freshen our clothes before dinner.”
Going down the hall, Elizabeth noted Darcy spoke to each of his servants, calling him by name. “Fitzwilliam, do you know all their names?” she whispered.
“Of course, most of the staff served my parents or are relatives of the staff members. They served the Darcys for many years; no one here served us less than five years.” Elizabeth never thought about how Darcy would treat his staff. She approved of his attitude; she would make an effort to learn the staff’s names too.
Darcy showed her several of the rooms; she found them to be more ornate than those she saw at Pemberley, but they each reflected his tastes for fine art, tapestries, and furnishings. In each room, Darcy brought her to the center and then stepped back to watch her reaction. Elizabeth acted like a small child moving away from a parent to try something new and then running back to the security of the parent’s arms. She would often lightly touch the statues and figurines or rub her fingertips across the tables; then she would giggle to herself and move quickly back into his embrace.
“Fitzwilliam, it is magnificent; I never imagined . . . I should have after being at Pemberley, but I did not expect such a home.” Her eyes sparkled with merriment.
“Then you approve of your London home, Mrs. Darcy?” he teased her innocence.
“Am I your source of entertainment, Mr. Darcy?” She stuck her lip out in a pretend pout.
Darcy lifted her chin and nibbled on the protruding lip. “Mrs. Darcy, you claim to love to laugh.”
“At other people’s expense, Sir,” she pretended offense, “not at my own.”
Darcy laughed.“Let us see some of the upstairs and then change for dinner.” He coaxed her toward the door.
She took his arm to ascend the staircase. “I have arranged for Margaret to attend you while we are here, but you may choose your own attendant once we return to Pemberley. I took the liberty of ordering additional items to be placed in your dressing room; I hope they meet your approval. We may have fittings for new clothes while in London if you like, Elizabeth.”
“Fitzwilliam, you do not need to buy me new things; I did not marry you for your money.” Elizabeth put her arms around his waist. “In fact, your money has not been of what I have been thinking today.” She tilted her chin up and looked in his eyes.
Darcy’s passion rose quickly whenever she was near him.“If not for my money, then why did you marry me, Elizabeth?”
“For your great wit, Mr. Darcy. I would not tolerate children of lesser intelligence.” Elizabeth turned from him to enter the dressing room door.“I will see you in a few minutes, Mr. Darcy.”
“I love you, Elizabeth,” he whispered.
“I love you, Fitzwilliam.”Then she was gone.
Darcy entered his own dressing room with images of Elizabeth playing with his senses.
The meal was delicious, but neither of them showed any interest in the food. They both picked at the offerings, and their eyes never strayed from each other. Eventually, without saying anything, he took her hand and led her to her dressing room again. Darcy lifted her chin and kissed her lips tenderly; then they parted.
Using the lavender oil she preferred for years, Elizabeth bathed slowly, tentative about what the next few hours would bring. Margaret helped her slip on her new nightgown and to brush out her hair. Earlier, when she freshened her clothing for dinner, she bubbled in conversation with the maid about the trip from Hertfordshire to London, but now she was silent, lost in thoughts of Darcy.
Like his wife, Darcy was more pensive than usual, but his calmness possessed an intensity he knew not before. Finishing his ablutions quickly, he entered Elizabeth’s bedroom to wait for her. He lit several candles and took a seat facing the door to her dressing room; yet, the door opened before he could settle his nerves completely, and Elizabeth was framed in the backlight of her dressing room. He remembered her being framed in the doorway at Netherfield with boots and her petticoat covered in mud. He actually thought her lovely then; now she was beautiful. With the light behind her, Darcy could see her lilt body through the gown. They looked at each other entranced by the moment until she stepped slowly into the room, and the door closed behind her. Darcy could not stand to not be near her; he rose and crossed to where she stood.
His touch of her skin sent a shiver through Elizabeth’s body; he cupped her chin as he lifted it to kiss her lips—the kiss warm and tender. She moved in closer encircling her arms around his waist, realizing she never saw him without his jacket, waistcoat, and boots, and then she instinctively slid her hands up under Darcy’s shirt and up the muscles of his back. He trembled as he kissed her again while slowly pulling her closer to him and letting his hands rest on her hips. Their breathing became shallow as the kisses became more intense.
Darcy scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her gently back against the pillows. She shifted nervously as his gaze grew in its eagerness. Darcy lowered himself beside her and kissed her repeatedly, his hands searching her body beneath her gown as his lips moved down her neck. Elizabeth reached out and pulled him to her; she was his at last.
Languishing in each other’s arms, Elizabeth snuggled into the curve of his shoulder and rested her arm across his chest. Darcy stroked her forearm with his hand and kissed the top of her head. “Elizabeth,” he began, but she reached up and placed her fingertips on his lips to stop his words.
“May I not be Lizzy again?” she teased.
Darcy laughed and pulled her closer to him. “Your name is Elizabeth Darcy, is it not?” He kissed her forehead as he hugged her tightly to him.
“I am Elizabeth Darcy, but your calling me Lizzy was very tantalizing.” She kissed him enticingly and stretched her leg across his body. “May I not convince you to call me Lizzy again?” Her hand slid a
cross his chest and down his abdomen to his thigh.
“Lizzy,” he moaned in response to her touch; then he kissed her more impassioned than before.
This time they slept following their love, satisfied to be in each other’s arms. When Elizabeth awoke, she turned to find Darcy propped up on one arm and looking down at her. Realizing her gown had long since been discarded, she blushed and reached for the sheet. Darcy caught her hand and held it in place.“In this bed, you have nothing of which to be ashamed.”
“I am surprised to find you in my bed, Sir,” Elizabeth teased to cover the uneasy feeling his gaze created in her.“I thought society’s refined husbands returned to their own quarters after . . .”
“Some husbands feel the need for privacy.” His voice was soft and gentle, and he began to trace circles across her abdomen.“But I never want to leave your side, Elizabeth. Where you sleep, I sleep; this is our bed.” Her arms circled his neck, and she began to kiss along his chin line.“Shall I call you Lizzy again?” he teased.
“I hope to never be Elizabeth ever again.” She nibbled on his earlobe as he once again encircled her with his arms.
“I love you, Lizzy,” were the last words he got out before she covered his mouth with hers.
Daylight streamed through the windows when she woke him by rubbing her palm over the stubble of his beard. “Mr. Darcy, you are more handsome when you are not so properly dressed.” Her laughter started as a gurgle in the back of her throat.“Do you have any idea of the time?”
“Do you have a pressing engagement elsewhere?” He pulled her closer to kiss her tenderly.
“I was just considering my need for nourishment. If I am to spend the rest of my life in bed with you, Sir, I will need the occasional meal to maintain my strength.”
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