“Miss Piper did it!” answered Wendy.
Elizabeth saw the look of both surprise and disbelief on her husband’s face. “It is true. We have a gifted artist among us. One of the reasons I was partial to hiring her was because of her impressive art portfolio. But I had no idea she possessed such talent until I saw some of the pieces she did when she and Wendy were tucked away in the guesthouse during our influenza epidemic. There were some remarkable ones of us and Wendy. As soon as I saw them, I began planning my surprise for you. Miss Piper has an excellent visual recall, l and except for the new additions, she did most of this by memory. I also instructed her to leave a space for any other new additions that may in time be added.”
“It is amazing,” said Mr. Darcy, still taking in all of the details in the painting. “It is amazing. Look at Fitzwilliam with the children! Well, my ladies, you certainly did surprise me. I love it,” he said. Elizabeth detected moisture in his eyes as he knelt down to give his daughter a hug. When he stood up and looked at her, she could tell how deeply affected he was. “It gives me extreme joy to have been able to give the man who has everything something he will hold so dear.”
“I do have everything. You could take away all my possessions, and if I were left with only those around me in this painting, I would still have everything. Thanks to you, my dearest loveliest, Elizabeth.”
“We have one more surprise for you, Papa!” said Wendy, who then ran into the hallway and beckoned for Mrs. Reynolds and Miss Piper. The two women entered both carrying refreshments. “What is this?” asked Mr. Darcy. “Why, here comes the soon to be world famous artist, Miss Piper, and our dear Mrs. Reynolds. I know the aroma! It is Carolyn Campbell’s apple cake!”
“A gift from Charles and Jane,” said Elizabeth.
“And Harry. And Laura,” added Wendy.
“From the Bingleys then,” Elizabeth hugged her daughter in happiness. “They sent the recipe for Mrs. Maricle to make for this special occasion. They also included a gift from Ambrose and Caroline Gibb, a box of very fine chocolates from Belgium, no less.”
“How very thoughtful of everyone,” said Mr. Darcy. “Any word from Georgiana perhaps,” he asked hopefully.
“This just came for you today, Mr. Darcy,” said Mrs. Reynolds as she handed her master a letter marked London.
“Now that does make the day perfect! How thoughtful of her to have remembered us before leaving for Italy,” Mr. Darcy smiled contentedly. The others wished them the happiest anniversary, and Miss Piper took Wendy with her to give the couple some time to enjoy alone.
***************
“This was the closest you have ever come to beating me at gift giving since we have been together, Mrs. Darcy.”
“Close, is it? I defy you to best me this time, Mr. Darcy. As wonderful as my surprise is so far, there is still another gift for you,” Elizabeth said with relish. “I know how fond you are of showering me with jewels. Well. I have some for you this time!”
Mr. Darcy laughed. “You are going to shower me with jewels, are you? This I must see.”
“All in good time, sir. I thought I might save the final touch for after we have dined tonight and you have presented me with your gift.”
“Ah, may I ask where you are keeping your little trinket you seem so proud of? Is it here?” He began to nibble on her ear.
Elizabeth giggled and pushed him slightly away. “No, I do not recall hiding my little trinket, as you call it, on my person!”
“Well, I suggest you go and fetch it because we will not be dining in tonight.”
Elizabeth turned to him, her brow furrowed. Again, Darcy fought the urge to kiss the wrinkles on her forehead away. “Where are we going?”
“To begin, we are going on a walk. And Miss Piper is already aware that we may be out late. So how about you get what you need to bring, we kiss the children, so we may be on our way?”
“To where?” she asked.
“Just a short way across the grounds. But if you do not hurry, we may not make it before dark, Elizabeth. Now, go to it,” he said with a mischievous grin.
Elizabeth excitedly hurried out to retrieve her husband’s gift. She grabbed her shawl and kissed Wendy and Lawrence. Returning to Darcy, she took her husband's offered arm and, together, they strolled through the landscaped grounds of the great hall, heading towards the small stone bridge that crossed the stream in the back of the property. The sun was high in the sky, and the weather was pleasant. It was as if nature itself knew that they were married on this day and did its best to make them comfortable.
Elizabeth had explored the extensive grounds that belonged to Pemberley and knew that over the bridge lay a delightful forest of oak trees. It was one of the few places she frequented whenever the weather was fair and had seen enough of it to know exactly what was within it. She bit back her curiosity, not wishing to spoil her romantic husband’s surprise. Instead, she struck up a conversation with him to keep her mind off of it.
"It has been far too long since we walked like this," she murmured.
Darcy squeezed her hand in agreement. "Too long indeed." He kept the pressure there as the thoughts of the last time they had ventured out into the grounds together resurfaced.
A year ago, Darcy had been at death's door. He never knew what had caused the illness to take such a strong hold of him, but it had come slowly at first and then swooped down on him with such intensity that he had been bedridden for nearly a month. Elizabeth had been ill during the same time, but as soon as she was able, she was by his side throughout the entire ordeal. He knew she had endured the delirium which he would sometimes slip into because of the high fever that came with the pneumonia that was attacking his body. She would read to him and had been his rock, and he knew that he would not have recovered from his illness had she not been with him through it. When he had been well enough to make it out of his bed, the doctor had proposed that he get as much clean air as he could. Elizabeth had taken his arm and walked with him around the grounds, sticking close to the house just in case he relapsed. He remembered how strongly she had held onto him, how she had supported his weight and made it seem as though he was completely well and that they were taking an evening stroll simply to take in the scenery.
They would take walks every day for a month before he was deemed cured by the doctor. Since then, he saw his wife in a completely different light, and it only made her a more important person in his life. She was his wife, his confidant, but most importantly, she was his greatest friend. He found himself wanting to be worthy of her affection and made it a goal to shower her with the love he felt for her whenever the occasion arose. Today would be the culmination of that display, and he hoped that what he had in store for her would delight her and show her how important their love was to him.
Soon, they reached a secluded clearing, housing an old gamekeeper’s residence. When Elizabeth had seen it last, it was in desperate need of fresh paint and no doubt other repairs. The small house was well built, but still nature was fighting to reclaim the unused property for its own.
Now, the place looked welcoming. It looked just as it once did, but it was standing straight and tall, freshly painted and ready to invite them in. She glanced at her husband, about to open her mouth to comment on why he had refurbished the building, but Darcy shook his head at her and led her inside.
The walls separating the main sitting room from a small second bedroom had been taken down, making the sitting room larger. The room was a bit sparse with only a few decorations littering the shelving within, and new, larger, windows had replaced the old ones, making the room feel more spacious and inviting. Darcy led Elizabeth into the other room.
A large bed dominated the room, the rich satin linens opulent and inviting. Rose petals were scattered everywhere, and what appeared to be hundreds of candles waited to be lit once darkness fell. Two champagne flutes graced the silver tray on the nightstand. It was something that Elizabeth had not expected, and it silenced whatever c
omment she was about to make. He had everything planned for who knows how long, and it was enough to make her weak in the knees.
Eyes shining, Elizabeth turned back to Darcy, but he silenced her with a shake of his head once more. He placed his hands over her eyes and led her through the French doors at the end of the room which led outside. “I saved the best for last,” he whispered into her ear. They moved a few paces away from the house and in front of the gift he had been waiting to show his wife for some time.
He removed his hands, and Elizabeth stared in utter amazement at what was in front of her. The large, deep blue pool of water looked as though it had been carved out of the land itself. Small bits of foliage lined the edges, next to low stone sides that acted as a barrier to keep the water from getting near the grass. On the far end was a little waterfall that trickled down the stone into the pool. Elizabeth remembered that part of the grounds had been closed off a few months ago, and she never got around to asking Darcy what was being done. Several trees had been cleared out of the way of the pool to create a small clearing so that the sky was fully visible. A high stone wall had been erected around the borders enclosing the space with big oaks all around the outside perimeters, making the area completely private. She wondered what it would look like in the evening when the stars shone down.
“What is all this?” she asked, awe coloring her voice.
“A swimming pool,” Darcy declared proudly, “It is the latest craze in London for competitive swimming. I was asked to sponsor one of the competitors and went to watch him practice. They have indoor facilities, of course, but the Greeks and Romans used outdoor tanks of this sort for generations. I thought it would be perfect for our private retreat.”
Elizabeth walked towards it, sitting on the edge and trailing her fingers through the silky water. Maybe the stars would make the pool become a mirror. She enjoyed the thought of lounging in it; the water was just warm enough that it would not chill her if she bathed in it. Maybe Darcy would join her for a dip if she asked him nicely; he seemed excited about the prospect of a pool, so he might be more than willing to join her in the water. She looked up at her husband, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Then I know exactly how to celebrate our anniversary.”
“How?” Darcy asked, raising an eyebrow. Whenever Elizabeth got that look on her face, it usually meant that she had an idea that could prove a bit vexing for him. He braced himself for her alternative ideas for spending the day.
“I would wish to spend the whole day and night here with you.”
Oh. Oh. Darcy attempted to school his face into something worthy of a gentleman of his noble lineage and good breeding. However, the grin that formed on his face was something that could not be kept away. “I was hoping you would say that,” he whispered, as he strode towards her and pressed his lips firmly against hers.
Elizabeth hummed with glee at the kiss. This was her Darcy. This was the man whom she fell in love with. Granted, his nature was more reserved than her own, but the instances during her courtship when he expressed himself through emotion as though he was experiencing it for the first time were something that enthralled her. She found no man more likable when he laid out his feelings for the rest of the world to see. He loved too deeply sometimes. He was too much and yet not enough when he hid his feeling while on business, but he never hid himself from her when she asked him to speak to her about a particular matter. The way he acted now was more than enough for her for. For him to make such a gesture, was equivalent to a declaration in his case.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The servants, whom Mr. Darcy had informed ahead of time, brought food up from the main house for them to enjoy in the bedroom of the gamekeeper residence. Elizabeth loved the way the rose petals seemed to emit a sweeter scent when the warmth of the room became too much. The candles were not lit until the sun had fully set, but Darcy did not want to waste the wax when they were going to be outside for the remainder of the evening.
The pool was exactly what Elizabeth thought it would be. The water was warmer, and Darcy tried to explain how the rocks at the bottom of the pool were darker and distributed heat through the pool, even when the sun was no longer out, but Elizabeth kept interrupting him with kisses. They kept each other warm as the night wore on, and when they were completely and utterly pruned, they made their way out of the pool and back into the little house. Again, the petals emitted that wonderful smell, and they lay sleepily underneath the soft covers.
“Elizabeth, did you forget something? I thought you were going to lavish me with jewels?”
“Oh, I almost forgot!” she said as she slid out of bed to retrieve the small box. She slipped back into the covers and snuggled up to her husband. “Jane and I went shopping together, and we each had a signet ring made especially for the wonderful men in our lives. Give me your hand, please.”
Elizabeth glided the masculine signet ring onto her husband’s finger. It had the Darcy crest with two small rubies in the center and a diamond at each side. “The diamonds represent our children, and I thought the two rubies well represented our fiery love for one another,” she said smugly, knowing he would have a hard time topping her thoughtful gift.
“I absolutely love it, Elizabeth. It is perfect, as are you,” he said before kissing her again.
They snuggled back under the inviting covers, wrapped in each other’s arms, talking quietly. Mr. Darcy looked at his ring again and said, “This will always be special to me, Mrs. Darcy. What does Bingleys look like?”
“Jane chose two dark sapphires to signify Harry and her eyes and two lighter aquamarines for Charles and Laura’s. I did not get to see the finished product, but the jeweler’s sketch looked very nice,” she replied.
“Are you surprised that I did not get you a piece of jewelry this year?” he asked.
“I must confess I was a little surprised. But not only do I have more than enough dazzling keepsakes as expressions of your affection, I will say your gift far surpassed any diamond you might have given me,” she answered, looking into her husband’s eyes with such love and appreciation.
“I am sorry to hear you feel that way. Perhaps you might think differently when you see the diamonds you are about to see.” He leaned over and opened the drawer on the bedside table, removed a handheld telescope and handed it to her before lying down next to his wife again.
Elizabeth looked thru the small instrument at her husband and said, “My, what big eyes you have Mr. Darcy. Is this going to be a treasure hunt of sorts? Am I supposed to use these to find my diamonds?”
“Yes” was all he said as he reached behind himself and pulled on the ornate tapestry bell pull. She has noticed it there but thought he must be using it for decoration since it was too far from the house to ring for a servant.
As he used both of his hands to pull the tapestry, slowly part of the ceiling above them began to open, revealing the night sky.
When she saw the ceiling above her start to move Elizabeth let out a surprised gasp as she watched the starry sky begin to be exposed above them.
“This year I thought I might give you thousands of diamonds,” he said as he watched her face turn from surprise to enchantment.
“Fitzwilliam Darcy, this is the most wondrous thing I have ever seen.”
“And there is a sheer netting that will need to be replaced from time to time, but it will provide protection from any unwanted insects. If you look through the handheld telescope, you might be surprised at what you will find at times,” he said. “Elizabeth, I want this to be a place far removed from all else and special just to you and me. It has been my observation that sometimes when children begin arriving, couples become so consumed in the role of parents that they stop making time for and showing how important they are to each other. I never want that to happen to us, my love.”
"My dear, what am I going to do with you?" Elizabeth asked, smiling at her husband. She never thought she would have been so fortunate as to have a man who loved her so profo
undly.
Darcy returned her smile with one of his own, and he leaned in to press his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent for a moment. She was a mix of the earth from the pool and roses, and she was perfect like this. He opened his eyes and kissed her softly. "Whatever you wish, Mrs. Darcy."
“Well, there is something in particular that I would like tomorrow. Do you think we might go for a morning swim together?”
“Of course. It will be the first of many such days, I hope.”
*******************
The next morning the couple had breakfast brought to their hideaway.
“This was wonderful, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said as she stretched with contentment. “I do miss the children, but I must confess I have enjoyed this time of solitude with my husband more than I can express. It has been simply wonderful.”
Love is in the Air Page 16
