encouraged her to make any changes she might wish. After restraining himself for a full five minutes, Darcy finally gave in to the impulse to gather Elizabeth in his arms and kiss her. What began as an innocent embrace soon flared into an expressive display of passion as Darcy’s hands began to roam over his wife’s body.
Far too soon—and much to his irritation—there came a knock upon the sitting room door, and Darcy tore his lips from those of his wife with a sound of frustration. He rested his forehead against hers and attempted to subdue his desire. After a few moments, he kissed her once more before stepping away. “Enter.”
Blushing, Georgiana appeared from behind the closed door, cleared her throat, and said, “Forgive my intrusion, Fitzwilliam, but I thought you and Elizabeth would like to know that supper will be served in an hour.”
“Thank you, Georgiana. Will you and Lydia not rest yourselves until then in your rooms? Our journey today was rather taxing. I would not wish for either of you to tire yourselves unduly.”
Georgiana giggled. “I believe we shall both rest quietly until we must go down to dinner. You need not concern yourself with entertaining us, Brother. We have become quite capable of amusing ourselves in your absence.”
Darcy gave her a stern look and she left quickly, her mirth barely in check. Scowling, Darcy took Elizabeth in his arms and said, “I do believe my sister has been just as much influenced by Lydia as Lydia has been by her these past months. I am yet uncertain whether I approve of her newfound impertinence.”
A smile graced Elizabeth’s lips as she slid her hands to his shoulders and beyond to bury her fingers within his thick curls. “I am very surprised to hear
“You, my dearest, are the only woman whose impertinence and teasing I have ever found charming,” he growled as he captured her lips with his. “I cannot but approve of the way you tease me, for if you did not, I fear I would be far too serious and ill-humored far too much of the time.”
She returned his kiss with some feeling. “Mmm… I cannot argue with that. I can recall just such a time, though not with as much clarity as I once might have, and although I found you equally as handsome then as I do now, I would not wish to have you so serious and grave again. You see, sir, you are utterly irresistible when you smile.”
Darcy did smile then, and tugged Elizabeth toward the door that led from her rooms to the master’s chambers. “Then I would have it no other way. Come, Elizabeth. You must be terribly tired after your journey. Perhaps you should rest yourself.” His tone was teasing.
Elizabeth laughed at his blatant attempt to seduce her so soon after their arrival, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. “I assure you, Fitzwilliam, I am not the least bit tired; however, I might be persuaded to partake of some
A wide smile overspread Darcy’s features as he led her into his apartment and kicked the door closed with his foot.
Elizabeth’s first week at Pemberley, while enjoyable, passed far too quickly for her liking. After the rigors of traveling for so many days—which included all the amenities being confined to what coaches and country inns could possibly afford—she rejoiced at being able to retire each night to the comfort of her own bed, or rather, the incomparable luxury of her husband’s. Her sleep being sound, Elizabeth rose early each morning to partake of a quick breakfast before she would steal away from the house with Darcy. As Derbyshire was so far north, its inhabitants were still experiencing the chill of winter, but the two lovers cared not. They wandered the grounds for hours, oftentimes losing themselves in the pleasure being at Pemberley afforded them. Elizabeth was so happy to be out-of-doors with just Darcy to accompany her.
Darcy was elated to finally have Elizabeth with him at his ancestral home, which meant almost as much to him as the woman he loved. Not even a blizzard, he suspected, could deter him from showing his wife as much of the grounds and surrounding woods as could be seen on foot without her becoming unduly fatigued.
The following week demanded that Darcy return to his duties as Pemberley’s master, which entailed lengthy talks with his steward, daily rides to survey the estate, and meeting with tenants to resolve any concerns or disputes. Added to this list were many frequent and detailed exchanges with his solicitors, both in London and abroad. Elizabeth filled the hours of her husband’s absence by familiarizing herself with the layout of the house, learning the names of the staff, and acquainting herself with the inner workings of the household. She soon found she had much to learn, and just as the running of Longbourn could hardly approach the complexity of Darcy House in London, so Darcy House and its operation paled in comparison to that of Pemberley.
Mrs. Reynolds had been in service with the family since Darcy had been a lad of four years, and while Elizabeth could easily tell that the elderly woman was a very warm, amiable lady, Pemberley’s mistress soon found herself adding patience to the housekeeper’s endless list of attributes, as well. Mrs. Reynolds was of great assistance to Elizabeth as she applied herself to her new responsibilities. Indeed, the kindly housekeeper spent a great deal of time assisting her in any way she could and, at Elizabeth’s prodding, even went so far as to regale her new mistress with boyhood tales of Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. As a result, Elizabeth took great delight in teasing her husband over his youthful antics. This form of torment always led a petulant Darcy to grumble about having a few choice words of chastisement for the elderly woman.
The months passed, and soon spring turned to summer. With the warmer season came the added responsibility of overseeing the fields after the spring planting, which would take up much of Darcy’s time. It was not uncommon for the master of Pemberley to depart shortly after breakfast, not to return until an hour or so before supper was served. Though Elizabeth would have preferred to spend her days in the company of her husband, it was not within her power to do so. As difficult as this adjustment was for Pemberley’s new mistress, she soon found much contentment and satisfaction in the society of her two younger sisters who, under her steady guidance and womanly assurance, were fast becoming promising young ladies. Pemberley’s master could not be more pleased.
Though Darcy had initially experienced some trepidation when he had first learned of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, it had quickly given way to delight at the prospect of becoming a father. As Elizabeth’s slender body slowly increased, Darcy’s joy became such that he did not feel the least bit inclined to dwell upon the moment when his wife would have to give birth. By the time August arrived, however, Elizabeth’s size had increased to substantial proportions, forcing Darcy to finally give thought to the niggling fears he had, until that time, successfully managed to push to the back of his mind. With each passing day, he began to experience more concern for his wife, especially as he could not help noticing how she now found certain tasks, such as walking out for any distance or ascending the stairs to her room, to be more of a challenge. Darcy became on edge for Elizabeth’s safety and, as a result, took great pains to ensure someone was there to watch over her on those occasions when he was unable to accompany her. Though this precaution did go a long way in appeasing Darcy’s worry over her immediate safety and comfort, it did very little to free his mind from dwelling on the dangers Elizabeth would very soon face with the birth of their child.
He remembered all too well his mother’s ordeal when she had been expecting Georgiana and, even more vividly, the long, arduous birth and heart-wrenching sorrow that had followed. Though Elizabeth was not experiencing any difficulties other than those that all healthy young women who are fast approaching their confinement have in common, Darcy’s anxiety for her multiplied. For Elizabeth’s sake, he attempted to conceal his unease as best he could, but it did not take long for his astute wife to notice her husband’s agitation.
Elizabeth sensed Darcy’s anxiety growing daily and, knowing him so well, had her suspicions regarding the cause. She became especially concerned when she noticed his distraction was such that he had resumed his old practice of staring at her from across the room, much as he had done in Hertfordshire, to the exclusion of anyone else who might also be in their company at the time. Elizabeth had asked him, on several occasions, to confide in her, to share the source of his disquiet, but Darcy simply looked at her, shook his head, and kissed her as he assured her all was well and that he was tired or distracted. Elizabeth did not believe him for a moment, and one night, as she sat at the pianoforte and played a particularly moving love song, she happened to glance up to find his gaze fixed upon her with such a look of anguish it caused her fingers to fumble upon the keys. Their eyes locked, and then Darcy quickly turned aside his head and swallowed thickly. Elizabeth turned her attention back to her music with a frown.
