Elizabeth brought his hand up to her cheek, then pressed a kiss on it. “By the by, I never found a chance yesterday to ask you what was so amusing to you and my father yesterday in the library.”
“Why, does it strike you as odd that we should be amicable for more than ten minutes at a stretch?” he asked mockingly.
“I would say that ten minutes is quite generous for the two of you!”
“Well, he was entertaining me with stories of your childhood misadventures, and attempting to warn me that you can have moments of temper given sufficient provocation.” He gave her an amused look. “I admitted to having a certain degree of experience with that already.”
“What do you mean?” she said indignantly. “When have I lost my temper with you?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Hunsford.”
She colored. “Well, I try to think only of the past as its remembrance gives me pleasure, and that is one moment that I have tried hard to forget! And I do not believe that I was the only intemperate one that day.”
He gave her an indulgent look. “I never suggested otherwise, my love, and you may feel perfectly free to put it completely out of your mind if it pleases you.”
“I hope you did not tell my father about that!”
“Well, only selected moments,” he admitted. “He seemed to find them entertaining.”
“William!” she said indignantly. “I cannot believe you would do such a thing!”
“It did allow us to avoid fighting for over a quarter of an hour, which must be a record of sorts,” he said defensively. “And he told far more stories than I did.”
She looked at him through narrowed eyes. Her spirits were too high to allow her to be annoyed, however, and she could admit that it was precisely the kind of conversation that would have pleased Mr. Bennet immensely.
“I did tell him that you were completely justified,” he added.
“Well, I shall forgive you this time.”
“Pity,” he said lightly.
“Why is that a pity?” she asked suspiciously.
“If you would not forgive me, I would have to take you back to Netherfield and make love to you until you did.”
“You are incorrigible, William! To think I once thought you sober and restrained!”
“That was only to allow me to catch you off your guard,” he teased.
“Well, however you did it, you certainly did catch me.”
It was near dark when the Netherfield party returned home, Elizabeth still finding it odd to be included in that number. Once they had arrived, it was not long before she excused herself for the evening, having found it to be a rather emotional day on top of little sleep the night before. Darcy, waiting below to give her time to make her preparations before joining her, poured a glass of port for himself and one for Bingley, and settled himself to listen sympathetically to his friend’s woes over his delayed wedding.
When Darcy finally felt it appropriate to retire, Bingley looked at him with a gleam in his eye. “Yes, Bingley?” he said patiently.
“Darcy,” he said with an engaging grin, “Jane and I had a particularly lovely walk today. I do not know what Lizzy said to her yesterday, but if you would not mind convincing her to say a great deal more of it, I would be most appreciative.”
Darcy raised an eyebrow. “Am I to understand that my wife is encouraging your fiancee in improper behavior?”
“Apparently,” said Bingley, “and with our wedding delayed, Jane’s kisses may be my only hope of sanity!”
Bingley had convinced Jane to join them for dinner the next day, and had sent his carriage for her, as it seemed likely to rain. He had been pacing the floor of the sitting room ever since, waiting eagerly for her arrival, and when the sound of the carriage was finally heard, he practically dashed out to greet her. Elizabeth made to follow him, but Darcy caught her hand and held her back. “Let them have a few minutes together, my love,” he said with amusement.
“You just hope to keep me to yourself, sir!” she retorted playfully.
His arm snaked out and caught her around the waist, pulling her onto his lap. “Absolutely correct, my dearest.”
She wound her arms around his neck. “You, Mr. Darcy, are the most forward man of my acquaintance,” she said with an impudent smile.
He stole a breathtaking kiss. “I see that you are finally beginning to understand me, Mrs. Darcy.”
She nibbled playfully at his ear. “I must ask you, however, to release me, else Jane will be quite shocked by our behavior.”
“One kiss first, my love,” he said. With a smile, she met his demand, and, as he had hoped, one kiss turned into rather more. She was still in his arms when Bingley escorted Jane in, causing Elizabeth to scramble off his lap ungracefully.
It was obvious that restoring her dignity was a lost cause, so she gave a guilty smile as she went to embrace Jane. She whispered an apology for embarrassing her in Jane’s ear.
“No need for that, Lizzy,” Jane said with a smile. “I am becoming inured to it!”
This statement, coming from Jane, was quite a surprise, and Lizzy took a closer look at her sister, only to note that her delicate lips were ever so slightly swollen.
She did not have a chance to confirm her supposition, however, until after dinner when Darcy and Bingley were thoughtful enough to allow the two women to retire by themselves for a time. She turned to Jane with a look of mischief and said, “Dearest Jane, if I did not know better, I would think that you had been allowing Mr. Bingley to kiss you tonight!”
Jane blushed deeply. “Lizzy!” she exclaimed in deep embarrassment.
Elizabeth took her hand remorsefully. “I am sorry to tease, Jane. I will not raise the subject again.”
“No, dearest Lizzy, I am not afraid to speak of it, only embarrassed… it is my own fault, you see.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Bingley had nothing to do with it?”
“Oh, Lizzy, I have behaved dreadfully! It began the day after you arrived. I was telling him what a lovely talk you and I had, and how contented you seemed with marriage to Mr. Darcy. We had both been concerned, you know, after you fought on the day you became engaged—and then I just kissed him!” She looked amazed at her own temerity.
Elizabeth smiled knowingly. “Was he shocked?”
Jane colored. “For a moment, I believe he was, but he recovered quickly. He was… pleased; he made that evident.” She could not quite bring herself to meet Elizabeth’s eyes.
“He looks very happy tonight.”
“Well, to tell the truth, Lizzy, I confess I have allowed it to happen a number of times now.”
Elizabeth recalled the first times Darcy had kissed her, and how ambivalent she had felt.
“I had no idea, Lizzy!” she exclaimed. “It does make it a bit easier for me to understand how you and Mr. Darcy came to be caught in such compromising positions.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Yes, well, a great deal of that was my fault, but Mr. Darcy was also rather more… demanding than your Mr. Bingley seems to have been.” The look in Jane’s eyes suggested that Bingley was perhaps not now quite as undemanding as he might once have been. Elizabeth took her hand and pressed it affectionately. “Do you regret kissing him, Jane?”
There was a pause as Jane considered this. “No, I do not. I cannot think that Charles and I should ever be near so daring as you and Mr. Darcy, though, Lizzy! You would think us quite dull, I am sure.”
“If you are happy, then I am happy, dearest Jane.”
“I confess that I am less worried about the wedding night now!” admitted Jane with a laugh.