Memory: Volume 1, Lasting Impressions, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (Memory: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice) (79 page)

“What?”  She whispered and concentrated her gaze on his hands.

“The only woman in the world I ever want to love me again.”  He smiled as she blushed.  “And do you not think that when making such an important choice, I would want to do so wisely?”

“So you are saying that if I disagree with you, I would be calling you a fool?”  Her eyes lit up and he grinned, and rubbed his hips against her. 

“I leave it to you.  Am I a fool or a wise man? Which do you prefer to call Husband?” 

“No woman would admit to loving a fool.”  Elizabeth stated with conviction.

“Then my logic is proven.  If I am a wise man and I chose one woman to be in my embrace for the rest of my life, and you are in fact my wife, then . . . you are lovely.”

Elizabeth sighed to feel his lips at work on her throat and his hands smoothly gliding up and over her stomach and breasts.  Her voice caught as she tried to maintain her composure.  “Mr. Darcy, your theory must be flawed somewhere, but I will not choose to argue with you.”

Darcy smiled into her shoulder to see her spirit return, and continued to touch her, tracing his fingers down to wander through her dark curls, and stroking steadily over her tender centre. “Look dearest, look at us.  It is beautiful.”  When Darcy softly suckled beneath her ear, Elizabeth gasped to feel the fire travelling upwards through her body.  Withdrawing his moistened fingers, he turned her around to hold her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, then bent to scoop her up in his arms.  “Come back to bed with me.”

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and delicately traced her tongue over his lips while he moaned.  “What of the baths?” 

He laughed and kissed her soundly.  “Oh . . . I forgot.  I think that a bath for two would be ideal.  I cannot wait to experience a wet Elizabeth.”  He raked his eyes over her flushed form and then stared fixedly at her glistening thighs.  “At least, an Elizabeth wet from something other than me.”

IT WAS SEVERAL HOURS LATER THAT THE COUPLE, now clean and fed, wandered hand in hand around the house.  Darcy was dressed in trousers and a shirt; wearing slippers that Georgiana had bought him but had never worn, having never felt the freedom to be so relaxed outside of his bedchamber before.  Elizabeth was wearing a simple morning dress; her stays remained in her dressing room.  It was very comfortable to her and a very alluring gift for her husband. 

“What do you think?  It is only right that you put your mark on the house.”

“I have, I helped with the bed chamber.”

“But there are your private rooms.  You have a sitting room for receiving guests, and your own study.”   He led the way inside.  “You see?”

“Oh.”  She looked around and he hugged her.

“What is wrong, my love?”

“I know so little of what is to be done.”  She said quietly.  “I am ill-prepared for the position I have accepted.”

“No more ill-prepared than I was two years ago when Father died.”  He said just as softly.  “Dearest, I am just barely feeling confident now, and I admit, only to you, that I have moments of great panic.”  Elizabeth looked up to see his honesty clearly in his expression.  “I was so concerned when news of the fire came.  I was certain that the house was gone, and grateful that Layton came with me.  I wished for you to be there, too.”

“I could have done little but hold your hand.”  She brushed back his hair and he smiled.

“But you see; that is what I needed.”  Darcy hugged her tightly.  “I know so little of the houses.  I meant to learn all those things this winter from Mrs. Reynolds.  Perhaps we can learn together, but by then, you will be the one teaching me.”

“Your confidence is gratifying.”  Elizabeth rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart.  “I . . . I enjoyed answering letters in your study.”

“You did?”  He looked down.  “Would you like to work together there?”

“I would be in your way.”

“Only if you were sitting in my chair.”  He chuckled and kissed her nose.  “I will gladly give you a place to work, but . . . I love my chair.”

“We will leave it to whoever arrives first.”  Elizabeth announced.  Then with a glint in her eye, she tore away from his embrace and took off down the hallway, “I think it will be me!”

“Elizabeth!”  Darcy cried and flew after her.  The servants in the surrounding rooms poked their heads out into the hallways.  Mr. Foster cleared his throat and they immediately returned to their duties.  When the hall was clear, he allowed a smile to cross his lips, and it only grew when he heard the study door shut firmly and the suddenly silenced mistress’s laughter.

DARCY SLOWLY OPENED HIS EYES and happily rubbed his face in Elizabeth’s hair, then looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms.  “I love you so much.”  He whispered, and sighed as she burrowed closer into his shoulder.  Glancing across the room, he noticed the clock, and that two hours had passed since her escape and their torrid loving in his father’s chair.  He looked around the room, imagining where she could put her things, not even really knowing what her duties would be.  She whispered his name in her sleep and he smiled broadly.  At last his gaze fell on the invitations and letters that had arrived since he left for Pemberley.  Everything had to be rescheduled, but . . . not today.  The only invitation that was mandatory to accept was the Creary ball.

“Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy.”  He practiced the announcement as he imagined entering the ballroom.  “May I introduce my wife, Elizabeth Darcy?”  He smiled and hugged her closer.  “My wife.” 

“What are you speaking about, Husband?” 

He found her sparkling eyes were open and smiling at him.  “I am happy.”

“I am as well.”  She kissed his chin.  “Am I too heavy for you? Do you need to change positions?”

“What do you have in mind?”  He tightened his hold.  “I am not letting go.”

“There is a chaise in the library, I noticed.”  She smiled and looked over at the book on his desk.  “Perhaps you could read to me from that handsome volume.”

Darcy followed her eyes and his lips pursed.  “I brought that back with me from Pemberley.”

“What is it?” 

He reached for it and it opened automatically to a certain page.  “Read.” 

Elizabeth sat up a little and took the book in her hands.  “Your journal.”  Glancing at the date she looked quickly up at him.  “I know this date very well.”

“Do you?”  He asked quietly.  “I visited this page daily for a very long time.”  Watching her read, he could tell exactly which sentence she was on, he recited it to himself as she took in his words.  When she was through, she closed the journal, and set it back on the desk. 

“When did I become Elizabeth to you?”

“When we met in the park.”  He kissed her softly.  “When you were no longer a dream.”

“When did you stop reading the page?”

“When I left the journal at Pemberley, after I knew that Stewart had courted then abandoned you.  I would reach for it here, but . . .” He sighed and hugged her.  “I have a confession to make.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember walking in Hyde Park and coming upon a man of about my height, who likely did not like your approach?  You were by the Serpentine.”

“yes.”  She whispered.  “That was Lord Creary.”

“Yes.”  He sighed.  “I came upon him just after you ran away.  I . . . I saw you walking with your aunt.  I . . .decided not to follow.”

“I
knew
you were there!”  Elizabeth sat up.  “I knew it!”

“I was not ready to . . . I was a fool.  I said goodbye to you as you walked away.”  Darcy’s eyes grew bright.  “I am so sorry.  If I had gone after you then, I could have saved you so much heartache with Stewart and your parents.   And I never would have had this experience we are living now with Anne.  I . . . I was a different man then.  I was full of the wrong ideas about what my duty was to my family.”  He reached back to his old journal and showed her the special entry again.  “On this day I asked my father if I could marry you, and he said to follow my heart as well as my head.  I promptly forgot that until the day we met in the park and you became Elizabeth.”  He kissed her softly.  “I remembered him telling me to be proud that I am a Darcy, and I forgot that he meant our history, not our status.  I wasted so much time protecting something in his memory that he did not hold dear.  I am so grateful that Stewart did not succeed.”

“oh.”

“Please tell me what you are thinking.”  He begged.  She slipped off of his lap and walked to the door.  “Elizabeth!”

“I need to walk.  I will go and change my dress.”

“You cannot walk alone.”  He said worriedly. 

“I did not say that I would.”  Elizabeth held out her hand to him and he stood.  “I am married now; I need never walk alone again.”

“Elizabeth.”  He took her hand and kissed it.

“I would like to walk around the Serpentine with my husband.”  She smiled and he visibly relaxed.

“You are not angry?”

“No.”  She sighed.  “Fitzwilliam, the experience with Mr. Stewart forced me to accept many truths about myself and my family, things that I likely would have resisted admitting for years.   My opinion of you was never sullied because I did not know the struggle that you faced.  I simply thought that fate did not bring us together again.”

“But now that you know that I did struggle, that I did stay away, what do you think?”

“I think that time apart matured us both in ways that otherwise may not have come.  And the end result is the important fact.  When you knew your heart, you did not hesitate.  How can I possibly be angry with that?  Think only of the past as it gives you pleasure.” 

Darcy regarded her closely.  “You are far too calm.”

“Why do you say that?”  Elizabeth looked down and clasped her hands and Darcy nodded as he saw the brave front slip. 

“I know you, Elizabeth.  You say that these experiences matured us, and that is doubtless true, but I cannot help but think that you are feeling fear that my opinion of you might be influenced by outside forces again.  You know how close we came to not being married now.  Dearest, you do not have to be brave with me.”

“What do you want me to say?” 

“I do not know.  I only want you to know that . . .that you need not fear losing me.”  Darcy pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.  “Why you are not berating me for being such a fool is beyond me.”

“It would serve no purpose.”  She buried her face in his shirt.  “If I had turned when you saw us walking away and we had seen each other . . .” Darcy’s embrace tightened.  “You would have come.”

“I could not have stayed away.”  He whispered.  

“Things worked as they should.”  Elizabeth looked up to him and he wiped away the tear that was rolling down her cheek.  “Now, come and walk with me.”

“But what of the evidence?”  He gently touched the mark on her neck and smiled as she regained her composure.

“I have a new lace shawl for my shoulders.”  She laughed.  “And if any of those women speak to us and begin to cluck, I can proudly say that my husband loves me.”

“That he does.”  Darcy hugged her and they started up the stairs. 

“However, I beg you to attempt to restrain yourself so that I may heal before this ball.  I do want to wear the gown Madame Dupree made for me.”  Darcy’s eyes lit up.  “What are you thinking?”

“I am thinking that I will claim every dance.”

“Oh, you know that you cannot do that!”  She laughed when he slipped his arm around her waist and spun her around the hallway.  “Fitzwilliam!”

“We must learn how to waltz together.”

“What is that?”  She said breathlessly.

“I saw it on the continent.  I do not know if it has even reached our shores yet.”  He laughed.  “I do not know really how to do it, but it was scandalous to see.”

“Why?”  She asked eagerly.

“Dearest, we dance together.”  He held her the way he had observed in his travels and swayed then turned.  “I think that only married couples will be permitted this privilege.”

“Then I am grateful to have a husband.”  She smiled and laughed as he turned her again.

Darcy stopped and kissed her, then brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. “When was the last time that you had a good long walk?”

“Oh it has been too long.  I cannot tell you how I yearn for the countryside.  When will we go?”

“Once this ball is through there is no reason to remain here.  I am anxious to show you our home.”  They arrived inside of the mistress’s chambers and he looked around, seeing little signals that this space was now occupied.  He drew a deep breath.  “What is that scent?”

“Lavender.  Do you like it?  It was a wedding gift from Jane.”  She entered the dressing room and returned with the bottle.  “She said that it was a woman’s scent.”

“It is, sweet, but seductive.”  Darcy kissed her.  “That is you, my love.”

“And what does your scent say of you?”  Elizabeth rubbed her cheek on his chest to catch the musky mixture.  “It reminds me of the forest after a heavy rain, woodsy.”

“Keep this up and we will not be walking.”  Darcy warned.

“I will not be walking in any case.  I feel that I waddle.”  She walked across the room and back to him.  “Does my gait appear as odd as it feels?”

His brow creased.  “No, not at all.  Why does it feel differently?”

Elizabeth’s hands fell on her hips and she stared at him.  “Sir, what has been our activity for the past day?”

“Oh.”  Darcy blushed and grinned.  “I did not think of that.”

“Selfish, are you not?”  She squealed as he grabbed her hand and placed it over his rapidly expanding arousal. 

“See, now I will have difficulty walking.  Please will we relieve this before we go?”  He looked at her hopefully and she smiled, and bent, kissing the hard lump and delighting in his gasp and groan.  “Elizabeth!”

She straightened and kissed his mouth softly, then ran her fingers over his shirt, down his stomach, and settling upon his groin where she lightly stroked over him.  Darcy’s eyes closed as he dropped his head into her hair, and held onto her shoulders.  Elizabeth kissed his chest through the open shirt then . . . stepped away.  “There, now let us go.”