What if Mr. Darcy’s second proposal had taken place at Netherfield?
Instead of receiving a letter of excuse from his friend, as Elizabeth Bennet half-expected Mr. Bingley to do, he was able to welcome Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy back to Netherfield just a week after Lady Catherine’s visit to Longbourn.
The Bennets were invited to Netherfield for the engagement ball and they stayed afterwards, much to the disgust of Miss Bingley, as her brother did not want his beloved Jane to be ‘tired’ by the carriage ride, even though Longbourn was a scant three miles away.
As Elizabeth sat by the window in the same room she had occupied during Jane’s illness a year ago, her thoughts were with the tall, quiet gentleman staying under the same roof. She could still feel the heat of Mr. Darcy’s gaze during their first set of dancing. Her hands had trembled, every time they encountered his.
His hands, by contrast, had remained strong, steady and warm. She did not know whether she had imaged it, but it seemed to her that his thumb had gently stroked her fingers, every time he held her hand. She had breathed in his musky scent when he danced a little too close to her, and felt the air vibrate when his chest almost touched her bosom during the dance. It had given her shivers. Both of them had been so absorbed by the moment that they remained silent for most of the dance.
Elizabeth had no memory of any other gentlemen she danced with, that evening, until Mr. Darcy came back to claim the last dance. Much to the surprise of the locals in Meryton, it was the scandalous waltz. To Elizabeth, it was both heaven and hell. She could feel the blood riot in her body when he wrapped his arm around her waist and her hand touched his shoulder. Due to their height difference, she felt him nearly pulling her off the ground as he whirled her around with unnerving intensity and passion. She was sure she touched his body the whole time they danced together. She felt she floated on a cloud with him. Yet it was torturous because, although she could inhale his masculine aroma, move with his majestic body, and stare at his soulful eyes, he had not opened his heart to her. The occasion was too public. They had parted, retreating to their respective chambers with only a look of silent longing for each other…
With a deep sigh, Elizabeth rose from the seat and left the elegant guest chamber in Netherfield in search of a book to help her sleep. At the top of the stairs, she gasped and froze as she saw Mr. Darcy walking up. He was without his coat and cravat, and his hair was a bit dishevelled.
Mr. Darcy’s legs nearly failed him upon seeing the lovely form of Elizabeth above him. Her long, curly hair streamed down her shoulders. The white nightgown seemed to accentuate every hill and valley of her beautiful body. The moonlight shone through the window behind her, giving her an ethereal aura.
He had just finished consumed a few glasses of port, alone in the library, thinking about their torturous dances, her fragrance and her fine eyes. Now here she was, tempting him again. He breathed deeply and forced his legs to begin climbing again. He had to find out whether she was real.
When he reached the top step of the stair, his eyes were on the same level with hers. He put his hand out and touched her face. Her skin was warm and soft.
“Miss Bennet…”
“Mr. Darcy.”
Mr. Darcy’s face drew near to Elizabeth’s, and he uttered his next words with a vulnerability that touched her heart.
“Elizabeth, I… Pray tell me that your opinion of me has changed. My affections and wishes are even more ardent than before. I love you. I could never live happily without you.”
Her heart ached for him. She replied immediately, “My opinion…my feelings have indeed changed. I love you. I have loved you since …”
Her declaration was, however, cut short. Mr. Darcy was a man violently in love, one who had just achieved his heart’s desire after many months of bitter struggle. He forgot about the sleeping household, the rest of the world, everything but the pure and miraculous fact that Elizabeth Bennet loved him.
His head drew nearer to hers, and he sealed their fate with a kiss.
As kisses go, this one began tenderly. He was tentative at first, unwilling to risk frightening her. As his lips touched hers, however, he felt their very souls intertwine. His love, aspiration and hope for the future were answered in that moment.
Elizabeth’s heart was beating so swiftly that she feared it might burst at any moment. She felt the intensity of Mr. Darcy’s presence in her whole body. With that kiss, he seemed to have invaded her every pore and nerve. She wetted her lips…no, they were his lips. And just as she thought she could not be closer to him than at that moment, he wrapped his arm around her waist, just as he had done during their waltz. Angling his head slightly, he kissed her even more deeply. They were merged into one, from head to toe.
When they stopped for breath, their eyes shone, and the brightest of smiles adorned their faces.
Elizabeth found herself surprised by his beautiful smile. He looked so happy! Reverting to her impertinent self, she teased, “Mr. Darcy, would you be shocked if I invited you to join me in my chamber? I have a few things to demand from you, and I choose to follow your aunt’s advice to use my arts and allurements to make you forget yourself and comply with my wishes.”
At such a provocation, his eyes widened. Then he joined her on the landing, passed one arm beneath her legs, and swung her off her feet.
She nearly screamed out, startled by his action. Instead, she chose to wrap her arms around his neck and muffle her cry by pressing her lips to his ear while he bore her off down the hallway toward her room.
By the time Elizabeth had thanked Mr. Darcy for his assistance to Lydia, and they expressed their “gratitude” for the interference of Lady Catherine, she had been sitting on his lap for quite some time as they alternated between words and kissing each other on the settee inside her chamber.
“Elizabeth, I think I had better return to my bed chamber before I do something to harm your reputation beyond repair.”
Mr. Darcy said with a notable lack of conviction as he continued to trace his lips down the neckline of her nightgown.
“If someone discovers us, you shall have to marry me,” she said, her hands smoothed over his shoulders and back restlessly, “immediately.”
“Yes, immediately!” he echoed as he pushed the nightgown off her shoulders, baring her creamy mounds. She was breathing heavily, causing her delicious breasts to rise and fall dramatically. His heart nearly stopped at the glorious sight, and he devoured her lush bosom with his eyes.
Her nipples hardened under his avid gaze.
He lowered his head and suckled one nipple while his fingers plucked at the other.
Elizabeth felt her body jerk upward, and a hot current sizzled from her breast to her womanhood. She was on fire as Mr. Darcy continued to worship her twin peaks earnestly. Her fingers tore at his hair and dug at his shoulder.
He raised his head and said, “Elizabeth, trust me.”
When she had returned his gaze and nodded, he lowered his head and kissed her passionately.
She thought she could not feel any hotter but she was soon proved wrong. She did not know how the hem of her gown had become hiked up, but it had. His hand moved between her thighs, and he began stroking her secret lips.
Elizabeth felt stars burst in her head. As he insinuated one finger into her entrance, her whole body trembled. She moaned and twisted as he slid the finger in and out of her secret garden. As part of his continuing kiss, his tongue mimicked the action of his finger, thrusting into her mouth. Then he introduced a second finger, stretching her muscle slightly, in and out, again and again and again while her breath grew shorter and shorter, until she was suddenly tipped off the edge and reached a climax that caused her to cling to him quite desperately, trembling.
At that, Mr. Darcy stopped his ministration and kisses. His cheek touched hers, and he breathed heavily as he waited for her to still. After he had himself under control, he tidied her clothes and embraced her limp body.
“Elizabeth, my love, I really had better go back to my room now,” he said, this time with more
