What Would Mr. Darcy Do? (14 page)

“You should send me away, my love, since I would happily stay here with you half the night,” he said, demonstrating the truth of his words as he took his pleasure from her lips again.

She could not resist the opportunity, and said provocatively, “Well, you will need your rest for tomorrow.”

He responded as she had known he would, pulling her to him hungrily and placing demanding kisses along her neck and shoulders until she was trembling with desire. “You need have no worries in that regard, madam,” he responded. He tangled his fingers in her disheveled hair again, encouraging some silky locks to escape their close binding and fall along her flushed cheeks, and deeply enjoying seeing the results of his lovemaking in her appearance. With a mild possessive vindictiveness, he hoped that his cousin caught a good glimpse of her before she made herself presentable again.

She looked up at him with unconscious seductiveness, allowing her fingers to stray along the warm skin of his neck above his cravat. “I don’t want you to go,” she admitted softly.

He closed his eyes. He knew that she had no notion of how near he was to taking advantage of her responsiveness and need, nor how powerfully his jealousy, justified or not, made him long to possess her. Carefully he removed her hands, and with a chaste kiss to each, joined them together and stepped away from her. In his most controlled voice, he said, “Elizabeth, no more provocation tonight, if you please.”

She regarded him carefully. “I will bid you good night, then, Mr. Darcy.”

“Good night, Miss Bennet.” Recalling that it was the last time he would ever refer to her by that appellation, he smiled. “The next words I want to hear out of those lovely lips of yours are when you tell the parson ‘I will’ tomorrow morning.” Unable to completely resist temptation, he kissed her once more with deep ardor, then took his leave.

Elizabeth sighed and wrapped her arms around herself as she watched him ride out of sight, then smiled and returned to the house.

***

“Mr. Darcy, you look particularly elegant this morning,” said Jane over breakfast the following morning.

“Thank you, Mrs. Bingley. I hope your sister shares your opinion,” he responded agreeably.

“Are you off to Longbourn this morning, then?”

Darcy busied himself with his food. “Yes, I expect to be there later, and then off to London this afternoon.” Both Elizabeth and Bingley had been enjoying keeping Jane in the dark about the morning’s events, and he would not be the one to spoil their amusement.

Jane looked concerned. “You are leaving today? Lizzy mentioned nothing of it—does she know?”

“Mmm, yes, she is well acquainted with my plans.”

“We also have an engagement this morning, darling,” said Bingley cheerfully, as if social calls on the day after one’s wedding were nothing to be remarked on. “We will need to set out shortly after breakfast.”

“Really? What is the occasion?”

“Ummm… it’s a surprise,” said Bingley, smiling broadly at Darcy.

“I take it that this is no surprise to you, Mr. Darcy.”

Darcy stood. “Far be it from me to interfere between a new husband and wife, Mrs. Bingley. If you will excuse me,” he said with a smile, taking his leave.

***

Elizabeth was, as usual, the first of her family to come downstairs in the morning, and, after a brief turn about the grounds in lieu of her usual morning ramble, she sat down alone for a light breakfast. Within a few minutes she was joined by Georgiana and Kitty, followed soon thereafter by Colonel Fitzwilliam, who chose a seat next to her. She greeted him warmly, but found that she felt somewhat discomfited by his presence after Darcy’s revelations of the previous night.

“I must admit that I was quite surprised to receive Darcy’s letter that you and he were to be wed,” he said in a measured manner. “I had guessed at Rosings that he admired you, but I must admit I had thought you less taken with him.”

“That is, I take it, a tactful way of saying that it appeared that I disliked him heartily,” Elizabeth said with a laugh.

“I certainly do not mean to imply that there was any… discord between you,” he replied.

“Well, it is quite true; I did have an aversion to his company then, owing primarily to some misapprehensions about his behavior.”

“I am glad you were able to resolve them, then. It is, indeed, a most prudent match for you.”

Elizabeth looked sharply at him. Was he implying what she thought he was? Despite his neutral tone, she suspected a true concern on his part, as well as, perhaps, an element of the same feelings that had plagued Darcy about him. “Georgiana,” she said with a cheerful smile, “Colonel Fitzwilliam is worried I am marrying your brother for his wealth, and that I have no true regard for him.”

Georgiana and Kitty looked at each other and burst into peals of laughter. Colonel Fitzwilliam said hastily, “I certainly did not mean to imply anything of the sort, Miss Bennet; I am certain you would only marry for the best of reasons.”

“Do not trouble yourself, sir; it is a perfectly reasonable conjecture on your part,” she responded amiably. “It is, however, quite untrue.”

Georgiana finally stopped laughing long enough to respond. “Oh, Richard, wait until you have a chance to see them together a bit more—they are so enamored of each other that the rest of us might as well be in China! I would venture they would not even notice if none of us came to the wedding!”

“They are
always
gazing into each other’s eyes, or watching the other from across the room,” Kitty added. “It can be quite embarrassing to see!”

“And then they go off by themselves again and again, and return looking so very calm and saintly, and no one is fooled at all, because they have been caught so often, but everyone knows that there is no winning an argument with either of them,” said Georgiana.

Kitty giggled. “Do you remember what Father said yesterday? He looked at his watch and said, ‘I wonder how long they will be this time!’”

“If I am ever caught in any misbehavior in the future, I will only have to remind Fitzwilliam of this time, and he will be unable to make any complaint!”

Elizabeth’s cheeks were scarlet. “Georgiana, Kitty! Please excuse them, sir, they are very giddy today, I fear.”

The girls looked at each other and laughed. “You asked what we thought,” said Kitty.

“I shall certainly know better than to do so again!” cried Elizabeth.

Making little effort to hide a smile, Colonel Fitzwilliam said, “Very well, I withdraw any objection; I am clearly not current with developments here.”

Still mortally embarrassed, Elizabeth said, “I am sorry to have teased you, sir. My rather extreme change of heart is well known here, as is the very ill-kept secret that Mr. Darcy made me an offer of marriage while we were in Kent, and I refused him.”

“So that is why he was in such a foul mood when we left! I have often wondered.”

“Wasn’t he awful?” agreed Georgiana.

“Monstrous,” said the colonel. “Personally, I would rather spend my time with a maddened bear! Well, Miss Bennet, I am glad to know all is well between the two of you. I must admit I was finding it difficult to attribute mercenary motives to you given what I knew of you from Kent.”

“I shall take that as a compliment,” said Elizabeth. “Now, if you will excuse me, I am certain I can find something pressing to do somewhere where I will not be subject to more embarrassing stories!”

The sound of laughter followed her up the stairs.

When Bingley rejoined Darcy an hour later at the church, he was still laughing over Jane’s reaction to the news of the upcoming wedding. “She was all astonishment! Delighted, of course, but very confused, I must say. Just wait until I tell her about the honeymoon!”

“Married life clearly agrees with you, Bingley,” Darcy responded to his boyish enthusiasm with a laugh.

“Oh, she is such an angel! I cannot begin to tell you,” he said. “But what of you? Are you nervous? I could hardly hold myself together yesterday.”

“Nervous?” Darcy raised an eyebrow. “Far from it! I feel relieved.”

Bingley shook his head. “You
would
have to be different from every other bridegroom in history, wouldn’t you?”

“Most bridegrooms have not suffered through the year that I have, then! I was nervous when I was fighting falling in love; I was unhappy pretending she did not matter to me after we left Hertfordshire. There were several good days, I admit, between when I first decided to propose to her and when she refused me, but then there were months of misery, then months of uncertainty. Then, since she accepted me, there has been the small matter of continual frustration—no, Bingley, I feel no anxiety today!”

“You
are
in a good mood!” said Bingley admiringly. “I believe that is more than I have ever heard from you on this subject.”

“Yes, well, that is because it is over now,” Darcy replied. “Or, more accurately, it will be if they ever decide to begin the service.”

Bingley eyed him critically. “I do believe I detect just the slightest tinge of nervousness there, after all!”

Darcy fixed a hard stare on his friend. “I had been under the impression that your job today was to make things easier for me, but perhaps I was mistaken.” Even in jest, however, he could not maintain a serious mien on this of all days, and broke into a smile.

“You’ll do,” said Bingley.

They heard a rustle from inside the nave, and the deacon gestured to them to enter and take their places. Darcy scanned the church, seeing the families assembled, and exchanged a warm smile with Georgiana, then was immediately distracted as he caught a glimpse of Elizabeth, lovelier than ever in a gown elegant in its simplicity, on her father’s arm.

The service began, and as she came to stand at his left hand, he glanced at her to see a warm look in her beautiful eyes and a small playful smile hovering around her lips. He could not believe this moment for which he had hoped for so long was finally coming to pass.

The words of the service flowed past him almost unheeded as he found himself caught by thoughts of the indirect journey that had led them together to this moment. He was almost startled when he heard the parson say to him, “Wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” he said, his eyes speaking volumes more as he gazed at Elizabeth.

“Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

Elizabeth’s smile grew as she glanced at him, reminding him of his words the night before, as she said, “I will.”

“Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?”

Mr. Bennet’s eyes were suspiciously shiny as he kissed the cheek of his favorite daughter before giving her hand to the parson, who then placed it in Darcy’s hand. He gave it a slight squeeze of reassurance, as his dark eyes captured her own. She felt that she could drown in that gaze, and sought to show him her own heart in the same manner as she listened to him repeat his vows. Then it was her turn, and she watched him take in a deep breath as she took him to be her wedded husband.

They might have been alone in the world as Darcy took his mother’s wedding ring from the parson and slid it onto her finger. He could not immediately make himself say the words, so caught was he by the overwhelming sensation of fulfillment he felt as he held the ring there, and knew that at last she was his forever. His voice was low but firm as he said, each word charged with meaning, “With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

The parson had to cue them twice to kneel, which was little surprise to him as he had had ample opportunity over the previous two days to discover how very inattentive this particular couple could be. He recited the prayer over them, then joined their hands together again and pronounced, “Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.”

The words echoed in Darcy’s mind as his hand tightened on hers. His lovely Elizabeth! How long he had waited for this, and through what trials—but it was all worth it now. The joy that filled his heart was all-consuming. He could think of nothing but the warm look in her eyes, the smile on her lips, and the many years he would have to enjoy them.

***

The wedding breakfast was a pleasant but brief affair, since the newlyweds wished to depart early enough to reach London while there was still daylight remaining. The time went very quickly, and almost before she realized it, Elizabeth was standing outside Longbourn bidding her family farewell before setting off in the handsome coach-and-four at the gate. The farewells were not protracted, as the Darcys planned to stop by Longbourn briefly en route to Pemberley the following week to collect Georgiana.

Elizabeth looked up with slight shock at the coach, which was certainly the most elegant conveyance she had ever ridden in, as Darcy handed her in. She settled herself gingerly on the well-padded seat as Darcy entered and sat opposite her, as propriety dictated. With a glance at her, he signaled the driver to depart.

They had not gone far beyond Longbourn when Darcy, smiling, said, “Well, Mrs. Darcy?”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “Well, Mr. Darcy?”

“Would it be indelicate to inquire as to the cause of that amused smile upon your face?”

“In fact, I was contemplating what a disappointment I would be to Miss Bingley. When I saw this lovely coach, I realized that I have been failing throughout our courtship to pay any heed to the question of your wealth. And since I have been thinking only of being with you, I have managed to utterly ignore the fact that I have no idea where we are going, since I have never so much as asked which part of London your house is in, nor what it is like. I believe that Miss Bingley would find my priorities quite unacceptable.”

Darcy smiled. “
Our
house,” he corrected.

“
That
will take some getting used to,” said Elizabeth. “You will have to forgive me if I cannot take it in all at once.”

“Surely you cannot have forgotten already—‘with all my worldly goods I thee endow?’” he teased. “Come now, you can manage it. Just try saying it—our house, our coach, our finances.”

“Our quarrels, our embarrassing relations,” Elizabeth shot back cheerfully.

“Don’t tell me you have already forgotten the part where you promised to obey me,” he said with mock seriousness.

“Completely and totally forgotten,” she agreed. “However, I have an excellent memory for the ‘love and cherish’ part.”

“In that case, perhaps you would not be overly shocked if I asked to sit next to you instead of all the way over here?”

“I must admit, I do not shock as easily as I did a few months ago. I fear you have had a pernicious influence on me.”

Darcy laughed as he carefully shifted himself across the coach. He put his arm around Elizabeth, who promptly nestled in close to him. “Mmm. I think I am going to like being married to you,” he said.

“Well, if not, you have picked an unfortunate time to realize it, sir!”

He kissed her hair. “I am completely satisfied, my love.”

“I am relieved to hear it,” she said. Reaching down, she drew out a small package. “I have something for you,” she added, a bit shyly, as she handed it to him.

“For me?” he inquired, surprised.

“Yes, it is a… umm, replacement. When I left Lambton that day, I took something of yours with me that I never returned.”

“Besides my heart?” He smiled warmly at her.

“That I cannot replace, nor would I have any wish to do so! This is something much simpler.”

Opening the package, he discovered that it held a handkerchief, embroidered with his initials within a small circle of flowers. Elizabeth reached over and touched the flowers. “They are forget-me-nots and sweet williams,” she explained. “Do you remember that day we walked in the garden and spoke of flowers for each other?”

“Vividly.” He took her hand in his. “Thank you, my dearest. I shall treasure it, not least as a sign that you thought of me while we were apart. But you also left something behind in Lambton.”

“Besides
my
heart?”

He could not resist kissing her lingeringly. “Besides that.” From his pocket he produced a neatly folded handkerchief that she recognized as her own. “It has been my constant companion, and no, you may not have it back. I have grown quite fond of it.”

“Then it is yours, my love. You may have noticed that I chose to replace, and not return, yours. I think I shall put that under the category of those worldly goods with which you endowed me earlier.”

Darcy raised an eyebrow at her. “You are willing to accept the handkerchief, but not the house, the coach, or the finances?” he teased. “Will you always be this easy to please?”

“Quite likely, since the only thing I truly want is you, and have no need for your worldly goods. Although I might make an exception for the grounds at Pemberley, as I am looking forward to many long walks through them.”

“The handkerchief and the grounds at Pemberley? That seems a reasonable enough request. They are yours, along with my heart,
and
all my other worldly goods,” he said playfully. “So, would you like to hear about
our
London house or not?”

“I suppose I must, mustn’t I?”

“Let me see… it is about a block from the docks, a dark, drafty place. The roof leaks, and—” His teasing was interrupted in a most pleasant way.

“There is only one crucial thing I need to know about this terrible place,” said Elizabeth as she drew back. “How will the housekeeper respond to my presence?”

“Mrs. Adams? She will take one look at you and decide where you will fit in her extremely organized household, and I strongly suggest gracious submission on your part. Mrs. Reynolds at Pemberley at least allows the illusion that I am—or we are—in charge, but there is no question as to who runs the household in London.”

“I find it hard to picture
you
submitting graciously, Fitzwilliam!”

Hard to picture! What did she think he had been doing since he met her? Well, perhaps some of it involved submitting less than graciously. There were so many possible responses to her comment, nearly all of them provocative, and he knew full well where that would lead. Desire rose in him, and he briefly regretted sitting so close to her, but managed to stay still by sheer willpower. He had strict plans for his behavior on this particular day, and, in deference to his desire to retain some degree of sanity when they reached London, those plans did not include permitting any passionate interludes while they were alone in a coach for two hours. Finally he forced himself to say, “I know better than to argue with Mrs. Adams!”

She tilted her head to look up at him with a bewitching smile. “I shall look forward to seeing that.”

The temptation to kiss her was nearly overpowering. Sighing, he settled himself back for what was clearly going to seem like a very long journey.

***

Darcy’s townhouse did not disappoint; it demonstrated the same elegance and good taste which had characterized Pemberley. Elizabeth could still not quite credit that she would be living in such lovely homes, and felt disconcerted as she was greeted by each servant in turn—and there were so many of them!—as Mrs. Darcy. The alarming Mrs. Adams turned out to be a plump, motherly woman who greeted Darcy with obvious affection and welcomed Elizabeth warmly.

After a brief period of refreshment, Darcy took Elizabeth on a tour of the house to which she attended with great interest, though she was continually more distracted by thoughts of the night that lay ahead. She was not surprised to find an extensive and clearly well-used library; she could picture Darcy spending hours there. She paused in the dining room, where a portrait of a lovely woman bearing a distinct resemblance to Georgiana graced the wall over the mantle. She looked over her shoulder at Darcy. “Is that your mother?” she asked.

He came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “Yes, that was painted shortly after she married my father. She would have liked you.”

“I wish I could have met her,” she said, leaning back against him. She relaxed in his arms, but Darcy’s response was far from relaxation—he had been suffering in silence quite long enough. He bent his head and began to press gentle, slow kisses on her exposed neck. She gasped, involuntarily arching her neck to allow him better access. She whispered his name with longing as he moved onward to explore the hollows of her shoulder. She felt a deep desire rise in her as he allowed his hands to caress her, and struggled to reach his lips with hers in an effort to gain some relief.

Their mouths met with a deep hunger, and Darcy pulled away sooner than she would have wished. She looked up into his eyes, dark with passion, as he released her and whispered, “Soon, my love, soon.”

Elizabeth blushed a fiery red at his acknowledgement of the night to come, unaware that he was thinking if he touched her for one minute longer, he would lose all his good intentions and carry her upstairs immediately.

God, but he loved making her want him! And he had plans to do a great deal more of it. Later.