Imperative: Volume 2, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (125 page)

Manning stopped and smiled at Elizabeth.  “My mother’s behaviour has been grating on you, I think?” 

“I have no idea what you are speaking about, Mr. Manning.”  She looked him in the eye.  “But I would dearly love to see you dance with my cousin, and even enjoy it.” 

“Shall I wait for the supper dance and annoy Mother more?”

“You are permitted two sets, sir.  There is no rule that they cannot be one right after another.”  Elizabeth smiled as the sparkle returned to her eyes.  Manning laughed and turning away, left to greet Cathy and Lady Matlock.

“I lost my temper.”  She glanced up at Darcy.  “I apologize, Fitzwilliam.  We have been combating and avoiding gossip too long.”

“We were fresh from discussing Georgiana and emotions are high.”  He saw her nod. “I agree, his mother is a trial and has been since she arrived at Pemberley.  I do not remember her being this way before.  She feels entitled, I think.  After all, her son is the perceived prize for Cathy.” 

“No, it is not entitlement, I think that she is intimidated by the company and awed that an earl’s daughter would purposely set out to capture her son.  But the near-destruction of Matlock is her chance to feel a little superiority of her own, even if it does annoy and infuriate . . . everyone.”  She closed her eyes and her shoulders drooped.  “Or maybe she just hates us.  I certainly know from experience that not everyone in the world is kind.” 

He looked her over from head to toe and grasped her hand.  “Come.”

“Will,” Elizabeth held on tightly while he pulled her out of the ballroom, “Where are we going?” 

“You will see.”  He strode down the hallway, away from the music, away from the card room, away from the supper rooms teeming with busy servants, away from the people who seemed to fill every inch of their enormous home, and into the private hallways, the less decorative ones, the ones not meant for public view.  While they were no longer dodging guests, they seemed to now be dodging a steady stream of servants bearing trays of food.  “Excuse us, pardon . . .” Darcy said continually as they moved against the tide of people.  Elizabeth apologized along with him when footmen flattened themselves against walls as their imposing and determined master barrelled forward.

“This way.”  He called and at last they popped through a door into a silent hallway, just at the conservatory door.  He placed his hand on the knob and grinned.

“How did we arrive here?  I was praying that you knew where we were going!”  Elizabeth laughed and entered as he opened the door and drank in the blessed peace of their heavenly scented sanctuary. 

“Alone at last . . .”   They were no sooner embraced when they both drew away to stare at each other.  “What is that?”  Elizabeth whispered.

Darcy’s face coloured three shades of red and he spoke tersely, “Come Lizzy, we must go.”

“Go?  Go where?” 

“Come.” 

Darcy again took Elizabeth by the hand and they escaped through an outside door into the cool garden.  He said nothing, only marching forward determinedly across the torch-lit paths, once again in the company of milling guests.  Exiting from the far end, he single-mindedly headed down the dark slope towards the lake.  Elizabeth struggled to keep up; she was practically running in her silk slippers over the grass.  She watched him worriedly as they flew along.  He was quite serious, his lips were downturned, in fact, he resembled closely the brooding, unhappy man she had met in Meryton almost a year earlier. When that thought struck her, she came to a sudden stop, bringing him back to awareness with a jolt.

“What is it?”

“Please tell me what is wrong.  I thought that we might be escaping the party for a few moments of relief, but . . .  Why are we running across the lawn while we have a houseful of guests to entertain?  Are you angry with me?”

“Angry?”  Dumbfounded, he stared.  

“Are you angry with me for losing my temper with Mr. Manning?  I am sorry, Fitzwilliam, I should not have chastised him so publicly.  It is no excuse, I know, but lately I hardly know my emotions.  It has been so difficult with so many people here; and . . .”

Immediately he stopped her.  “No!  Lizzy!  I . . . If you had not said something, I assure you that I would, and as for your feeling overwhelmed, dearest, how you have maintained your good humour in the face of all that has been set before you only makes my admiration grow.  You know full well that I would most definitely
not
be so calm without you.  This night would not have occurred without you.”

“Oh.”  Elizabeth felt exhaustion and emotions welling up and Darcy opened his arms to her.  “I am so confused.” Tears pricked her eyes and finding his handkerchief, he pressed it into her hand, “Where are we going?”

Darcy sighed and looked at the lake.  “I was of a mind to go swimming.” 

“Will!”  She gasped.

“I desperately want to be alone with you, Lizzy.”  He said helplessly then spoke quietly as he traced her jaw, “And I believe that you were in great need of being alone with me.” 

Leaning into his touch, she nodded, “But we were alone in the conservatory, were we not?” 

Taking the handkerchief from her hand, he gently touched it to her face.  “What did you hear in there?”  

“I . . . I do not know, it sounded like . . . a . . .  sigh? A thump?  I thought that it was the wind . . .” She watched as he raised his brows and looked around at the still leaves on the trees.

“That was no wind, dearest, and we were
not
alone.” 

She put her hand to her mouth.  “Oh my!”

“Indeed!  And I have no desire to see Bingley in flagrante.”

“What is that?” 

He brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek, “Is it possible that my sweet Lizzy is still innocent?  I hope so.  I feel as if we have barely started together, I would hate to feel that way alone.”

“Innocent?”

Darcy held her eyes while taking her hand and placing it over the bulge in his straining breeches.  “Flagrante.”

“Oh.”  Her eyes widened, “OH!  Charles . . . Was Jane there?” 

Darcy started to laugh, “Lord, I hope so!”   His eyes closed as she blushed and gently caressed over the fascinating shape. 

“You feel that we have just begun?” 

“Yes, Elizabeth, in so many ways.”

“I am relieved to know that you feel as I do.”  She rested in his arms.  “Sometimes I feel afraid that I am not sophisticated enough for you, or too ignorant.  I am fine within the confines of our home, but facing London absolutely terrifies me.  If it is anything like tonight . . .” 

“We shall face it together.” He sighed with her continued caress.  “That feels so good, dearest.  I was disappointed that our place of privacy was stolen.  That is why I stormed out into the garden. I was not angry with you.  I just . . .” He shook his head and lifted his hand uselessly.  “I do not know, I wished to bring you relief.  We should return, I suppose.”

 “I suppose.”  Elizabeth looked up into his darkened eyes and smiled.  “How many of these have we wasted tonight?” 

He laughed shortly, “Too many.  I have been in a near constant state of arousal, and all I receive in return are interruptions, unwanted company, teasing, and commands to
put it away
!”  She laughed and he placed his hands on her shoulders, “Well I will tell you, Mrs. Darcy, mistress of my heart, I
do
want to put it away, exactly where it belongs, and I am of no mind to have to waste another moment.”  Kissing her, he rested his forehead to hers.  “What do you say to that?”

“I thought that you were not going to wait another moment.”  She said softly.  When he did not speak, she looked up and found his eyes were on hers.  “Will?”  Under the intensity of his stare, she blushed and became shy.  “Say something!” 

“Are you serious?  You . . . you feel the same?  Even now, with a houseful of guests . . .”

An incredible sense of power flooded over her, and with a grin, she went to work on his breeches and soon had both hands inside of his drawers.  “Ohhhhhh, how warm you are!”

“Oh, Lord . . .” 

“What would you like of me?”  Elizabeth murmured.  “Will?  Would you like me to kiss you?”  He nodded.  “Touch you?  Taste . . .” She stood on her toes and traced the tip of her tongue over his parted lips.  She squealed when suddenly he scooped her up and she was spun around while her husband searched for a spot for them to lie.

“
Where
can we go?”  He demanded.

“I am wearing white, I cannot lie in the grass!”  Darcy’s darkened eyes fixed on her.  “I am sorry . . .”  He growled and then looking around, finally picked a direction.  Elizabeth held onto his shoulders, laughing as he strode across the lawn, his impressive phallus bouncing against her bottom with each step.  “You are spanking me with that stout stick of yours!” 

“I will do better than that!”  He declared, arriving at last at a cluster of old trees.  Setting her down, he pressed her back against the trunk.  “So beautiful.”  Darcy was kissing her before she could breathe.  His hands held her hips and bunched the fabric of her gown while his kisses engulfed her mouth. 

“Is this what you want, Will?”  Elizabeth asked, lifting her skirts above her waist. 

“You tease.”  He accused as his hand slid over the swell of her stomach and down between her legs.  Groaning, he felt the warmth and slipped two fingers inside.  “You are so
wet
. . .” 

“Oh, Will . . .” Immediately he wrapped his hands beneath her bottom, and lifted her up, pinning her against the trunk and plunging in as far as he could go.  Elizabeth’s legs surrounded him as he pumped unrelentingly, stretching her deeper and wider with every stroke.  “Ohhhhh!”  She gasped and held his face, kissing him with the same desperation he felt as he moved, faster and faster until tearing away, he stared down at her and watched his wife’s erupting pleasure.  Elizabeth’s mouth pressed against his shoulder and her muffled cry sent the same waves of bliss coursing through his shuddering body. 

“I imagined this today. I watched you sleeping and I imagined this.”  Panting, he buried his face against her throat.  Breathing in the intoxicating scent of her perfume and pleasure, he felt her soft cheek nuzzling him the same way.

“Your scent has been driving me to distraction all night.”  She whispered against his ear.  “I have wanted you for hours.”

“You have?”  He hugged her tighter, entirely unwilling to let her go.  “I have wanted you, too.”

Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder and laughed.  “I never would have known.”    Darcy lifted his head to grin.  She ran her fingers through his mussed hair and smiled into his warm, happy eyes.  “So this is what sent us tearing through the house?”

“I felt that we were sharing the evening with everyone but each other.”  His smile became shy, “Lizzy?”

“We have shared every moment of it together, Will.  We just have not been alone.” 

Tenderly, he kissed her smile. “You are tired and look what we are doing.  Shall we send them home?”

“Before supper?”  Laughing, she stroked her fingers through his hair.  “I think Mrs. Johns would throttle you.” 

“Your eyes are sparkling like the stars above us.” 

“I like that better than being called a butterfly.”  Darcy’s mouth was instantly upon hers and they were once again lost in the pleasure of their embrace.  He finally drew away and touched his forehead to hers.  “Can you feel it, Will?”

“Feel?”  He whispered.

“When you love me, I feel like I . . . I am full of bubbles . . . the way that you touch me . . . it just goes on and on and on . . .”

“Is that why you giggle when we are joined together?”  Darcy smiled and kissed her blushing cheek.  “I love when you are helpless with . . . I do not even know what comes over you.  I think that I somehow find a special spot deep within, and stroking that . . .” He felt her squeeze and again desire was coursing through his body, “Dearest Elizabeth . . .  Let’s find a place where we can lie together.  Down by the lake . . .”

“Would we be missed?”

Drawing a breath, he moved his hips slowly, “How long have we been gone?  It seems only minutes.  I know that it was over far too soon.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed, “Passion is furious by nature, is it not?” 

“Ours is, I can speak of nobody else.”  He traced his lips over her throat, then to moved taste her shoulder and nuzzle her breasts.  The tip of his tongue glided up her throat and he recaptured her mouth.  Elizabeth shuddered.  “Passion is slowly burning, too.” 

“Oh yes . . .” 

The sound of laughter from the garden reached them and Darcy’s caress paused.  Their eyes held. 

She whispered, “I suppose that we should return?” 

“I suppose.”  Reluctantly he withdrew and letting her down, he watched her skirt fall around her legs in a sway of fabric.  He held her hips again and watched the silver threads sparkle in the moonlight.  Elizabeth slid her hands down his chest, and slipping them into the fall of his breeches, fondled him.  Finding his smile again, he focussed on the feel of her loving hands. “Lizzy dearest, what are you doing?”

“I was just making sure that you are put properly away before we join our guests.”  She buttoned his drawers and then his breeches.  She fixed his waistcoat and reaching up to straighten his neck cloth.  Darcy captured her wrist and traced his lips down the length of her glove.  Elizabeth trembled and closed her eyes. 

Darcy entwined their fingers and whispered, “Are you satisfied, Mrs. Darcy?”  She took his hand, held his eyes for a moment, and started them walking back to the house.  “I will take that as a yes.” 

“I AM HERE FOR OUR DANCE.”  Georgiana started.  She was seated on a sofa with her knees drawn up to her chin and hugging her legs.  Samuel entered and sat down beside her.  “Were you listening to the music?” 

She sat up, “Yes, it seems to have changed a little?”

“There is a different group performing.  Elizabeth secured two sets of musicians so that they could spell each other, and so there would be no lack of entertainment for the whole evening.”  Smiling, he touched her hand.  “So no young ladies will be pressured to perform during the lulls.  I suppose that she is recalling her mother asking her to perform at parties and the like?”