“Wickham is very skilled at playing on your emotions, Darcy. He knows that
“It is my responsibility. Had I not felt it to be beneath my dignity to expose his behavior to the world, this could never have happened.” Darcy’s voice expressed his anger at himself.
Elizabeth said gently, “I could say the same—that it is my fault for failing to reveal what I knew about him. The truth, though, is that it is the fault of only one person, and that is Mr. Wickham. I would not refuse anyone’s help in this situation.”
“Wise as well as beautiful; you have done well for yourself, Darcy. Listen to your wife.”
“There speaks the perpetual bachelor!”
Colonel Fitzwilliam decided against pointing out that he had assisted his cousin in courting the most promising marital prospect he himself had seen in some time. “Had I your opportunities, old man, you would sing a different tune.”
Darcy eyed him suspiciously, but was interrupted in whatever he might have chosen to say by the appearance of Philips, who requested a brief conference with the master. On his return a few moments later, he found Elizabeth conversing happily with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Discovering to his chagrin that he did not at all care for seeing Elizabeth smile at any other man, even his own cousin, he approached her and spoke quietly in her ear. “It seems we have a household crisis of unprecedented magnitude, my love. Apparently even my admirable staff cannot ready within a matter of an hour rooms that have been out of use for many years, and thus the rooms due to you as the lady of the house will not be ready until tomorrow. They offer you instead the finest guest room.”
Her eyes sparkled up at him with amusement. “I assume that you accepted on my behalf, sir,” she said mockingly, unaware of how her playfulness was affecting him.
“Indeed not, madam. I proposed an entirely different solution,” he said suggestively.
Elizabeth glanced at Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was watching this interplay with interest, although he could not hear Darcy’s words. “Perhaps we could discuss this later, sir,” she said composedly.
“I think not, my lovely wife,” he replied, helping her to her feet before scooping her up in his arms. “Good night, Fitzwilliam,” he said, satisfaction evident in his voice.
“Good night, Darcy, Mrs. Darcy. I hope you sleep well.” Colonel Fitzwilliam smiled broadly, raising his glass to them.
Elizabeth, in deepest embarrassment, buried her face in Darcy’s shoulder. Once they were out of the room, she gazed up at him reproachfully. “And to think that I once believed that you valued propriety!”
He paused to kiss her, disregarding the servant in the hallway. “It is all a matter of priorities, my love.” He pushed open the door to an upstairs room. “Right now my priority is to acquaint you with my bed.” He placed her on that piece of furniture, exploring her mouth with an unhurried attentiveness to detail that roused Elizabeth into a state where she no longer felt the least interest in opposing his intentions. He stroked the soft skin of her neck, leaving trails of sensation wherever he touched, and then, sliding her gown off her shoulder, he slipped his hand under the neckline to caress her breast. She arched her back to encourage the pleasure he was giving her, and the intense shock of desire that rushed through her when he began to explore her nipple made her gasp under his lips. As he pulled away just far enough to look at her, she could see the flush of passion on his unsmiling face. “Do you still want to return downstairs, Elizabeth?” he asked, continuing to stimulate her with his skillful fingers.
Struck even through the waves of delightful sensation running through her by the oddness of his demeanor, she twined her arms around his neck. Just before she drew his face back to hers, she whispered, “I never did. I want to be with you, William.”
He nibbled at her lip, then released her just long enough to throw off his cravat and coats. He lowered himself onto her as if to claim her body with his and kissed her demandingly before moving to explore her face and neck with his lips. When he reached her ear, he murmured, “Elizabeth, if you do not find a way to remove your clothing very quickly indeed, I will take matters into my own hands, and I do not guarantee that they will be wearable when I am through.”
Her face lit with amusement. “It is
He rolled off her obligingly, but did not free her until his impatient hands had the opportunity to reacquaint themselves thoroughly with the curves of her body. Seeing his eagerness, she turned to allow him to unfasten her dress. He struggled with the tiny buttons manfully for several long moments until he gave in to his threatened impulse and pulled the sides apart by force.
“William!” she exclaimed, startled by his action. “I do not have that many dresses with me on this trip!”
He nibbled on the nape of her neck as he undid the ties of her corset. “Buy more,” he instructed succinctly.
Afterwards, she lay in his arms, breathing hard, and overwhelmed once again by the pleasure he could give her. An upwelling of tenderness for him filled her, a sense of gratitude for their having discovered each other against all odds, and she gently smoothed back his hair. She was aware that something had been troubling him earlier; she did not know what it had been, but the lines of concern were erased from his forehead now. “I love you so,” she whispered impulsively, and his arms tightened around her.
“My beloved Elizabeth,” he replied. “You never cease to amaze me.”
A smile curved her lips. “Oddly enough, I believe that I could say the same about you.”
He kissed her forehead gently, thinking back on his earlier feelings. The pensive look on his face caught Elizabeth’s attention, and she asked, “Is anything the matter, William my love?”
He twisted a lock of her disheveled hair around his finger thoughtfully. With a sigh, he admitted, “There are times at which I need you so much that it worries me.”
“That is a sentiment that I can certainly understand,” said Elizabeth feelingly, “since it is one that I share.”
“Do you?”
She raised herself on one elbow to see him better. “Yes, I do,” she said slowly.
He cupped her cheek with his hand. “I did not know,” he said, kissing her tenderly. “I cannot say that I am sorry to hear it.”
“Misery loves company?” she asked with a smile.
“
Elizabeth muffled a laugh in his shoulder. “Especially the staff here—what will they think of me, appearing out of nowhere and leaving a trail of torn clothing behind me?”
“They will adore you, just as I do. Well, perhaps a little differently. They will think you a great improvement over the mood that I was in during the spring—I doubt they would care if you shredded every item of clothing and drapery in the house.”
“Pardon me, sir; I do not believe that
“You drove me to it,” he said, kissing her lingeringly. “Besides, it will provide you and Georgiana with something to do tomorrow. There is nothing that Georgiana loves so well as shopping—she will be delighted to help you choose a new wardrobe.”
“Oh, dear,” said Elizabeth with amusement.
“I suggest that you choose gowns that are easy to remove,” he said. “It may promote their longevity.”
She stopped his mouth in his favorite manner.
After breakfast Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam departed for Gracechurch Street. Georgiana, as Darcy had predicted, was enthusiastic about a trip to the modiste, and although it hardly seemed a priority to Elizabeth, she was willing to admit that remaining in the unfamiliar town house all day while awaiting news was likely to be unpleasant. The stores that Georgiana patronized were of a higher quality than those Elizabeth had visited with her aunt in the past, and she became concerned over the expense as the number of items Georgiana insisted she needed continued to mount. Marrying her was already likely to cost Darcy a considerable sum to settle the affair of
