His Uncle's Favorite

by Lilian, Lory

  She could feel his gaze deep inside her, invading her soul, and she shivered at each word. She put her palms over his hands.

  “I think it a perfect arrangement…” she said with a trembling voice, attempting a smile.

  “No, it is not perfect; a perfect arrangement would have been to marry at Pemberley and take you to our rooms a minute after the wedding, but we must make the best of this. Now let us eat; you must be starved. Then we shall try to get some sleep; we must wake early in the morning since we have a full day of travel. We will see how far we can go tomorrow, and we will decide whether we spend another day on the road.”

  When they returned to the dinner table, Elizabeth’s anxiety had vanished completely, and her appetite seemed to increase with every bite. He poured her a little wine, and after the first gulp, her cheeks turned crimson, and she grew more animated. To the contrary, Darcy’s hunger for food diminished as he could think of nothing but the beautiful woman who was now his wife—the one who gazed at him with adoring tenderness, blushed for him, and laughed at him, her long, dark hair falling on her shoulders in heavy, silky curls. He wondered whether he would be able to restrain himself ’til they reached Pemberley. He planned to use the time to allow her to become more at ease with him, more comfortable with his touch, to become aware of her own wishes and determine she desired him as much as he desired her. It was a little scheme he had planned since they decided to journey to Pemberley after the wedding, yet he was uncertain whether he would have the self-restraint to control his passion.

  “Should we go to sleep?” she asked timidly, and her voice brought him back from his reverie. She seemed to wait for his indication as to what to do next. He gently took off her robe then lifted her in his arms. She released a small cry of surprise and encircled his neck with soft, warm arms; then a moment later, their lips joined passionately. He put her on the bed, went to blow out the candles, and returned to sit on the bed beside her. She snuggled to his chest, and he put his arm behind her to pull her closer.

  “I have long wished to sleep in your arms again,” she whispered while her fingers touched the thin fabric of his nightshirt.

  “And I have wished to have you in my arms again even longer, my love.” He gently nestled her against the pillows, his fingers brushing over her eyes and cheekbone, and lingering on her lips a moment; then suddenly his mouth captured hers with tender passion. The kiss started gently, but soon the tenderness turned into breathtaking desire. As his lips became more demanding, his hands eagerly caressed her throat, her shoulders, her bare arms, then returned to reach the edge of her nightgown. The soft fabric was pulled down from her shoulders and gathered on her breasts; he broke the kiss and withdrew from her a moment, but her hands were tightly clasped around his neck, and she seemed unwilling to allow his departure. He smiled and returned to her lips until their need for air became stronger. He looked at her through the darkness; the moonlight shyly entered through the windows, and her eyes sparkled like stars.

  “I want to show you how much I love and desire you…” he said hoarsely.

  “Please show me,” she whispered, closing her eyes and parting her lips for him.

  But his mouth was eager to taste more; his lips slowly traced warm kisses on her chin, then lower, along her jaw, down to her throat, then back to her ear and finally back to her own thirsty mouth. He lowered her nightgown, and countless chills overtook her; she moaned and he stopped, trying to hold her gaze. His stare made her breathing rapid, and her heart beat wildly. His eyes lowered, resting with passionate greed upon her soft roundness. Her breathing increased even more as his fingers—gently and so very slowly—brushed a trace of fire from her neck, down along and around her left breast again and again then cupped it with tender possessiveness, perfectly fitting in his palm. She moaned louder, and her back arched into his hand while his thumb daringly caressed her hard nipple. She released a soft cry, and he silenced her with another kiss; his hand moved to her other breast, starting the sweet, unbearable torture again. Her moans increased together with her breathing, and her body started to move as if of its own will.

  “I want to taste you,” he whispered, but she could not comprehend his words until she felt his mouth abandon hers and travel down, following the burning trace left by his fingers.

  She shivered as her mind told her what would come only a moment before her body felt it. His lips soon reached the place where her heart was beating wildly; her skin, still burned by his fingers, had to bear the torturous touch of his mouth, which kissed, tasted, savoured, and then closed around her nipple. She moaned again, covering her mouth with her hand. He suddenly stopped and lifted his head to look at her, kissing her lips softly. His hand returned to her breasts, unable to abandon their softness.

  Then he withdrew a bit, watching her closely; she opened her eyes and held his own, her desire matching his. His hand slowly resumed its journey and stopped a moment on her belly; lifting the nightgown, it moved down slowly and patiently, tantalisingly brushed over her right thigh then slid gently between her legs. A deep moan escaped her dry lips, and she licked them as her legs moved. His eyes still held hers, and she could feel his gaze burning her as much as his hand, which slowly moved against her inner thighs. His eyes seemed to tell her what would happen; she slowly parted her legs, and a smile lit his dark gaze. His caresses increased, becoming more daring, more demanding, and more determined. His fingers persisted on her thighs for some time then moved up tentatively and remained still, pressing on her most intimate place. She gasped and looked at him in disbelief, holding her breath. He smiled and kissed her again; slowly, his fingers found their way to her bare core with tender caresses. His mouth suddenly captured hers again in a possessive kiss, his tongue conquering her mouth while his fingers moved in torturous, daring strokes, burning her core. Her mind could not understand what was happening while her body melted under the fire he built within her. She felt her mouth abandoned as his lips travelled down her neckline; his mouth tasted her skin and lowered again to her breasts, conquering her skin inch by inch, while his fingers conquered her core until everything vanished around her and there was nothing but his mouth, his fingers and a storm of fire and ice that shattered her senses.

  She remained still, struggling to breathe again and to comprehend what had just happened; she needed some time before she dared to open her eyes. Slowly her senses recovered, and she could feel his hand still caressing her thighs, her belly, her hips…

  Their eyes met, and a smile was softening his face; she briefly wondered how she looked and what he might think of her. He gently placed a kiss on her lips, then he leaned over her, covering them both with the soft sheet, his lips tantalising her ear.

  “William, that was… I never imagined anything like that…”

  “It makes me so very happy that my caresses please you. I have dreamed about that for such a long time… I have dreamed about you for such a long time, my love…”

  She turned to face him, and unexpectedly, she put her hand upon his, which was cupping her breast. “Words cannot possibly describe what you made me feel… Is this how much you love and desire me?” she asked with blushing shyness.

  “Not really; I love and desire you much more than that…” He kissed her hair.

  “It cannot be much more… I know there is something else, but it cannot be more than what I felt. Such pleasure is unbearable…” Her voice trembled slightly.

  “You must trust me, Mrs. Darcy—there is much more than that. Much more indeed,” he whispered, and he could feel her tense in his arms. He chuckled and caressed her face.

  “Let us sleep now; you must be tired. Good night, my love.”

  There was a long moment of silence, and he was certain she was asleep. He could not possibly rest, as their little interlude was pure torture for him. He smiled as he remembered her beautiful face aglow and her eyes darkened with passion and pleasure—the passion and pleasure she had experienced for the first time.

  “Wi
lliam?” she unexpectedly called his name and he startled. “I wish to show you how much I love and desire you. Will you teach me?”

  His heart nearly stopped, and he could barely breathe. Her earnest request made his blood boil, and he was instantly so warm that he had to remove the covers. Every part of his skin craved the hidden promise behind her words, and his body cried to him to reply. He glanced at her eyes, tenderly raised to meet his, her face lit by a bright smile. She offered herself to him without knowing what she was offering. He kissed her temple.

  “I shall teach you everything, my love…as soon as we are home. Now close your eyes and speak no more because you are in great danger of not sleeping at all this night.”

  It was already light when Darcy awoke. He had not slept much, and his body ached, but his mind and his heart were light and easy.

  Elizabeth was still asleep, her bare body covered. She breathed peacefully, her hair falling over her back as she rested on her side. He slowly removed himself from her, dressed and closed the door quietly as he went downstairs. Mrs. Johnson offered to send a maid to help Mrs. Darcy, but he refused. The servants prepared food and drink for the road; when the carriage was ready, he returned to fetch Elizabeth.

  He sat on the bed and stroked her hair; she sighed with delight and smiled but did not wake up. Then he gently pulled down the sheets, and as her skin was revealed to his eyes, his fingers brushed over it; then he pressed his lips to her shoulder and bit her skin gently. She moaned and turned to him, covered with nothing but her hair. When she finally met his smiling eyes, she allowed herself to be caressed by his gaze for a moment then suddenly realised her state. She gasped and grabbed the sheets to cover herself.

  His smile grew larger, and he caressed her face—flushed in the daylight—then kissed her hand. “We must leave; the carriage is ready.”

  ***

  The second day of their journey passed uneventfully. The newlyweds planned only to change horses as necessary and not to stop for the night, as they wished to get home as soon as possible; but Pemberley was still far away.

  Consequently, they stopped at an unknown inn that appeared civilised enough and asked for rooms and food. The place was crowded, and as soon as they entered the main room, many pairs of eyes were on them. The owner easily recognised a worthy customer, so he hurried to comply with their demands. It was settled that driver and footman would sleep for several hours in order to be able to continue their journey safely.

  Darcy and Elizabeth retired to their room, far from the noisy dining area. Servants brought the luggage, some hot water to refresh themselves, and a tray with food and wine. Darcy inspected the dishes, tasted the wine, then looked around the chamber severely and seemed displeased with it.

  “I am sorry; we should have stopped two hours ago at the inn where Miles made the arrangements. I thought we could push on to Pemberley, but I was wrong. I have unwisely placed you in an unpleasant situation only a day after our wedding,” he apologised with obvious distress, but she smiled at him.

  “William, please do not worry about me; I shall be happy only to sleep in your arms.” She caressed his face and pressed her lips to his.

  “Are you not hungry? We should eat a little,” he said, but their lips were already otherwise engaged. A moment later, overwhelmed by her tenderness, he sat in a chair and pulled her into his lap. The long kiss ushered in many others, their lips separating only to breathe. She felt his arms caressing her legs and lifting her dress, and all she had in mind was the pleasant anticipation of what would happen next. She briefly considered that they should move to the bed and blow out the candles as her dress was already up to her thighs. Instead, she felt his strong, demanding hands placing her astride his lap; she gasped in surprise and attempted to break the kiss, but he would not allow it. His hands encircled her back, caressing her spine, her neck, and her shoulders; then he removed the hairpins to release her heavy tresses while defeating her weak resistance with his eager passion.

  After long, tormenting minutes, he finally freed her lips and withdrew his face a bit to look at her. He was smiling while she felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

  “My beautiful, beloved wife…” He tightened his arms around her, and they remained in the silent comfort of each other’s arms for some time. “We should try and rest, my love,” he said eventually. “I will go to the other room to allow you to wash and change. Then we must eat a little and try to sleep a few hours.”

  “Very well…thank you,” she said while trying to move as she became increasingly aware of the awkwardness of their present position. He left the chamber, and she finally dared to look around the small, simple room—the chair where she sat in his lap and her own image in the mirror. As other feelings diminished, embarrassment coloured her cheeks while she cleaned and changed herself.

  Shortly, he returned, his appearance more proper; he had changed his trousers and shirt, and his slightly wet hair curled more than usual.

  “You look beautiful, Mrs. Darcy. Now—shall we eat? These dishes seem quite tasty after all.” He proved to be right; the dinner was brief, but the food and wine were much appreciated, more so as both were hungry and thirsty.

  Finally, it was time for what sleep could be had; they shared the same bed, gently embraced, her head on his chest, one of his arms tightened around her shoulder, the other entwined with hers. Not a single kiss was shared as he declared she needed to rest. She attempted to tease him a few more times, but he was unmoved in his decision and eventually insisted with perfect seriousness, which only made her chuckle and blush.

  “Mrs. Darcy, we absolutely must rest now. You should take advantage of this rest, as I suspect you will not have much sleep tomorrow at Pemberley.”

  ***

  Well before dawn, they resumed their journey. Despite her assurance that she was rested, Elizabeth soon fell asleep again on Darcy’s shoulder. He held her gently and allowed her to rest for a couple of hours.

  When the sun was up, she woke and discovered, with happy anticipation, that they had entered Derbyshire. She eagerly inquired about each remarkable place through which they drove, and rather often, she asked how much longer they had to go.

  When Darcy told her they would arrive at Pemberley in less than an hour, Elizabeth’s anxiety increased significantly and unexpectedly; she watched for the first appearance of Pemberley Woods with great perturbation. The park was large and contained a great variety of ground. They entered it at one of its lowest points, and drove for some time through a beautiful wood, stretching over a wide extent.

  Elizabeth eagerly admired every beautiful spot and point of view, her mind and heart overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions. They gradually ascended for half a mile, and then found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceased, and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of a valley into which the road, with some abruptness, wound.

  Elizabeth gasped in wonder and asked to stop the carriage. Darcy smiled as she quickly exited and stood spellbound, her hands pressed over her chest to quiet her emotions as she marvelled at her future home.

  It was a large, handsome, stone building, standing well on rising ground and backed by a ridge of high woody hills, and in front, a stream of natural importance was swelled into a greater width but without any artificial appearance; its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned. It was simply perfect in its natural splendour.

  “I have never seen a place more beautiful,” she whispered, and he put his hands on her shoulders; she could feel his warmth near her back and leaned against him. “It is just breathtaking. I never would have imagined it to be so wonderful!”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “I am glad you approve of it.”

  “Approve of it? It is as impressive as it is astonishing in its beauty. You know, until now, I did not fully comprehend what it means to be the ‘master of Pemberley.’”

  “Pray tell me, had you known before what it means to
be the ‘master of Pemberley,’ would you have accepted my first proposal? After all, the beauty of the house should compensate for my faults,” he said, laughing.

  “No, I would not have! But I surely would not have teased you so when we were in Hertfordshire, and I might have offered to mend your pen as Miss Bingley did.” She joined him in his amusement, and he laughed louder.

  “Well, my dear Mrs. Darcy, now you will have the chance to rectify your errors. Come, I am in quite a hurry finally to be home, but I promise I will show you every spot of the estate during the next few days. You will come to know it and love it as much as I do.”

  When the carriage stopped in front of the manor, Elizabeth forgot to breathe. She looked around, her eyes wide, her heart racing. She took Darcy’s arm, but her feet seemed unable to obey her will. Darcy kissed her hand and put his arm around her shoulders.

  “We are finally home, my love.”

  “Oh, dear Lord! Mr. Darcy, you arrived early, sir! We did not expect you until dinnertime! I hope you are well. Oh, forgive me, Mrs. Darcy; we are honoured to receive you at Pemberley. Welcome! Oh, I am such a fool; please enter. I am standing in the way; I heartily apologise… Oh Lord, and we are not completely ready; I am so sorry…”

  “Mrs. Reynolds!” Darcy’s voice was gentle but decided and immediately silenced the anxious housekeeper. “Mrs. Reynolds, there is no need to be nervous or to trouble yourself. We are happy to be home at last. Everything is well, I trust?”

  “Yes, everything is well, but I am afraid Miles misled us; he said you would arrive later in the afternoon; and the meal is just—” Darcy started to laugh, and his amusement seemed to disturb the woman even more.

  “Mrs. Reynolds, in four and twenty years I have never seen you so distressed! I will show Mrs. Darcy around for a short while; in the meantime, please send Miles to take care of the luggage and prepare us something to eat. We shall need our baths ready as soon as possible. We are very tired and will retire early today.”