Yearning For You: A Pride and Prejudice Novella (A Blissful Mariage, Book 1 - Hot Mush Series)

by Lory Lilian

  “Yes. My husband passed away a fortnight ago. My uncle lives in London, and he paid for our journey. He waits for us in Town. We thought we were safe; he paid the coachmen to take care of us. But the weather turned so bad, and we cannot afford to postpone the journey. And then this storm and flooding…we should have arrived in Town by now. I am not certain where we shall spend the night. We were not prepared…” The young woman fought against her tears while the eldest children watched her in fear.

  “You have no reason to worry.” Elizabeth smiled kindly. “We shall find a solution.”

  Astonished, the woman was lost for words. “But, ma’am, we could not possibly…you were already too generous…”

  “Well, we have arrived at the inn. Let us enter. As Mrs. Darcy said, we shall find a way,” Darcy said then hurried outside, helping his wife from the carriage while Stevens immediately appeared to assist the others.

  Elizabeth held her husband’s arm tightly while glancing back at the woman and children who walked under Stevens’s supervision.

  The inn was crowded; in the large dining room were more people than the place could accommodate, waiting for food and drinks. Some of the men were already boozy—arguing, singing, and talking. The din was so loud that it was hard to understand a single word.

  Their entrance silenced some of the people, and the innkeeper ran towards them excitedly.

  “Mr. Darcy! What an honour, sir! May I dare presume we have the pleasure of being introduced to Mrs. Darcy? Welcome to our humble dwelling, ma’am! Please allow me to fetch my wife; she will be so happy to see you. It is madness here today—what misfortune that you had to travel in such weather. Please, do come in! How may I serve you?”

  “I am glad to see you well, Mr. Nott. First things first: I can see you are overloaded, but do tell me you have a spare room for us. We need to spend the night here.”

  “Indeed I have a couple of rooms, sir. One is the same as you have used in the past, and I believe there are two others still free. The price is…higher than in normal circumstances. The times are hard for everybody, and our income is not as good as we hoped.”

  “I understand, Mr. Nott. So, there are three spare rooms? I thought everything was full, considering all these people. I am glad I was wrong.”

  “It is true we have more people than we can host, but most of them—especially the men—prefer to use their money to eat and drink; they sleep wherever they land.”

  “Good, good, I do not wish to know more. I shall need all three rooms. One for Stevens and the rest of my staff, one for this young woman and her children. And the last one for us, of course.”

  The innkeeper looked surprised. “Oh, the young woman is with you?”

  “Yes, she is under Mrs. Darcy’s protection, and we want to be sure she is properly taken care of.”

  “Of course, sir! I am sure you will be as content as ever. It is such an honour to have you here again.”

  “Very well, Mr. Nott,” Darcy stopped him. “We need to retire to our chambers. Then please send a warm meal to all three rooms. And I trust we shall need nothing else until morning.”

  Fanny and her children watched Darcy in silent astonishment, incredulous at their good fortune. Elizabeth’s admiration for her husband mixed with tender gratitude for his generosity. Among all the other men, his impressive appearance, self-confident manners, and handsome figure singled him out.

  They stepped among the tables, following Mr. Nott, when a voice stopped them.

  “Mrs. Johnson, you arrived? Good, good! I am glad you are well. How did you get here? Did you walk after all? You see, it was not such a great distance.”

  “We are fine,” the young woman answered. Then, at Darcy’s inquiring glance, she explained, “The two men at the table are our coachmen.”

  Darcy stopped in apparent surprise then gently removed Elizabeth’s hand from his arm and stepped towards the table.

  “I understand you are in charge of the stagecoach and this family’s safety?”

  “We are. And who might you be, sir?” one of the coachmen asked under the apparent effect of his drink.

  Darcy’s face darkened. “I might be anyone, but I happen to be Fitzwilliam Darcy. As I look at you here, I cannot contain my puzzlement. This woman with three small children was abandoned in a broken carriage with the horses still harnessed in the middle of a storm. You seem to be enjoying your food and drink, so I presume you have sent others to retrieve them as you promised. Enlighten me as to their location so I can hold them accountable.”

  His voice carried more anger than his words, and his furious countenance disconcerted the men.

  “Well, yes…we tried, but…nobody was willing to return until the rain stopped. And I am wounded—my leg is hurting me, and…”

  Darcy took another step forward, but Elizabeth gently grabbed his arm. He turned to her, and his expression softened under her tender, comforting gaze. To everyone’s surprise, it was Elizabeth who spoke next.

  “I am sure there has been some mistake. I cannot imagine that you carelessly exposed a woman and three children to deadly danger for the sake of your own comfort—even more so since her uncle paid you handsomely to take care of them. Fortunately, we shall take them with us for the rest of the journey. Simply repay them, and this unfortunate matter will be forgotten.”

  The two men glared at her. “Repay? No indeed, ma’am. She should travel with us to London as it was settled. I am giving no money back,” the youngest coachman said.

  Neither the people staring at them nor Elizabeth’s grasp of his arm could prevent Darcy from approaching them as he leaned over the table.

  “The noise is deafening, and I could not hear you properly. For a moment, I thought you rejected my wife’s kind request and refused to return the money you have not earned. But surely, I must have misheard because of the din. You cannot possibly be as simpleminded as you are reckless.”

  The men looked around. Many eyes were upon them; behind Darcy, Stevens and Mr. Nott glared at them.

  They hesitated, whispered to each other, argued a moment, and then one of them pulled a few coins from his pocket and handed them to the astonished woman.

  “Are you pleased now, sir?” the youngest inquired impertinently.

  Darcy frowned again. “I am wet and angry, and you are drunk, so I shall not give you the reply you deserve to such a stupid question. I shall forget you even asked it, and I hope I shall not see you again,” he responded then took his wife’s arm and followed Mr. Nott.

  Two of the rooms were on the first floor; the servants and the young woman—who continued to express gratitude through her tears—took those while the Darcys entered the one on the top floor.

  Elizabeth breathed with relief; the place was clean, silent, and warm—and soon she would be alone again with her husband.

  “Mr. Darcy, would you like me to throw out those two coachmen?” Mr. Nott asked, worried about Darcy’s obvious displeasure.

  “What use will they be if they die in the storm? Let them be—I wish to hear nothing more of them. Just make sure the luggage is brought to us and to Mrs. Johnson; then prepare some food and warm beverages.”

  “It is already done, sir,” Stevens spoke from the doorway, carrying two bags.

  “And here is hot water,” Mrs. Nott uttered from behind Stevens, bowing shyly to Mrs. Darcy while two maids carefully carried in two large steaming kettles. “Your dinner will be ready in half an hour.”

  “Perfect. I am very content with your efficiency, Mr. and Mrs. Nott. I hope this will cover your efforts,” Darcy said, offering the innkeeper a handful of coins. “I shall ring if we need anything else, but I am sure the dinner will suffice until morning. We just need tranquillity and rest until the storm is over.”

  “We shall do everything for your comfort, Mr. and Mr
s. Darcy.”

  “Mr. Nott, Mr. Darcy and I are fine, but I am concerned about the children,” Elizabeth said. “Please be sure their dinner includes some hot milk and soup; they are frozen and frightened. And Stevens, there is a basket full of untouched food from my mother. Please take it to Tulk, Jarvis, Lush, and the others.”

  “Yes, ma’am; thank you.”

  “Very well; everything seems arranged now. Please return to your duties. I am sure you are very busy,” Darcy concluded, obviously encouraging everyone out of the chamber.

  Elizabeth could hardly conceal her amusement. He locked the door then turned to his wife.

  “You took care of everyone else, now I must take care of you. We must remove your clothes quickly, Mrs. Darcy. I cannot risk having you ill on our honeymoon.”

  “The same for you, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth smiled, and they stepped towards each other.

  From the closed window, the sounds of the storm and voices did not cease, but they gradually ignored them. They were alone, and nothing else mattered.

  Chapter 4

  Darcy pulled the curtains closed so nothing could be seen from the outside. Although they were on the second floor, he would not expose Elizabeth to any prying eyes from without. Then he blew out all the candles save one. In a small stove, the fire was burning steadily. Several pillows and blankets rested upon the quilt; on the table was a basin and, nearby, several towels. The Notts had always been efficient and diligent innkeepers, careful about their guests’ needs.

  Elizabeth waited in the middle of the room until Darcy reached her. Their gazes met in silence.

  With tempered haste, he turned her around to unbutton her gown. He loosened it then let it drop to the floor. The petticoat, stays, and chemise followed; his fingers, warm and tender, skilfully released the buttons and eyelets, removing the wet, dirty fabric and freeing her from its cold tightness.

  Then, he took the pins from her hair until it was loose on her back. He hid his face in her silky, dark hair, curly and slightly wet. His lips and tongue brushed her ear as he whispered, “Let me see your face, my love.”

  Elizabeth quivered from the chill and even more from his voice and closeness. Her arms closed on her chest and she spun, slowly, until their eyes met and held again.

  Darcy did not lower his gaze towards the body he had dreamed of so often; his desire was less strong than his care for her comfort. He could still keep his hunger for her under proper regulation.

  Carefully, he took a towel and gently wiped her skin, then covered her with a sheet. Only then did his lips touch hers.

  “Please sit.” He indicated a chair near the fireplace, and she obeyed. He sat down on the rug and gently took off her shoes, garters, and stockings. Her feet were wet and red, and he rubbed them in his palms, drying and warming them. The sensation was so pleasant that a moan escaped her. Then his lips tantalised her toes and moved up to her ankles. She stretched her hands to touch his hair, calling his name.

  “What is it, my love?” he asked breathlessly.

  “You should undress too before you catch a cold. And we must change into something more proper; Mrs. Nott will soon bring the dinner.”

  Darcy stopped, still caressing her feet. He looked up at her; she was flustered, her eyes and lips smiling shyly at him.

  “You are right of course, dearest.” He rose hastily and moved to a corner, removing his clothes quickly. She glanced at him, wondering how it would feel if she had done for him as he did for her. It was not the right time yet—but it would come soon. She would learn to have no restraint with him. She just needed to adjust to the unexpected delight she had started to discover about her married life.

  Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed Darcy opening their luggage. Not looking at each other, they both chose night clothes and robes and managed to achieve a proper appearance. Then, Elizabeth resumed her place by the fire. Darcy bent over, claimed her lips for a moment, and then sat on the rug again.

  “Would you not be more comfortable in a chair?” she teased him.

  “Not at all, Mrs. Darcy. I am perfectly fine at your feet—where I have been since the day you refused to dance with me at Sir William’s party.”

  “If only I had known sooner, Mr. Darcy. But in this, we must share the blame. And perhaps we should share the rug too.”

  She did just that, sitting next to him. He received her with pleasure, leaning his back against the chair. Then he pulled her to him, both enjoying the silent, tender embrace. Outside, the voices were louder, and so was the rain. He took her hands to his lips, kissing and tantalising each finger.

  “Elizabeth, please forgive me, my dear.”

  She turned in his arms, in utter surprise. “What on earth for, Fitzwilliam?”

  “I have selfishly and unwisely placed you in a disagreeable situation on the day of our wedding,” he said in earnest. “I thought of nothing but my desire to be alone with you. If we had left earlier with the Fitzwilliams, we would have been safely in London by now.”

  “Surely you are joking! You cannot make the bad weather your fault! I would say it was rather a fortunate happenstance since our delay might have been the salvation of Mrs. Johnson and her children.”

  “True, if you put it that way. For this, I am content and grateful.”

  “As am I. And the desire to be alone was mine as much as yours. I would never call ‘disagreeable’ a situation where I am resting by a fire with you. What could be lovelier than this?” she teased him, caressing his face. He stopped her hand and placed a tender kiss on her palm.

  “I only want you to be safe and comfortable. And there is no better place than our home.”

  “My home is in your arms, my dear husband.”

  “Of course if we are to speak of comfort, I wonder why we remain on the rug. I could hold you in my arms on the bed too,” he joked, placing a kiss on top of her head. She did not reply but cuddled to his chest and remained in silence for a while.

  “You seem rather thoughtful. May I ask what is troubling you, Elizabeth?”

  “I was thinking of you—of how generous and kind you are and how seldom you allow people to see it. Today, I had proof that you not only help people you care for but anyone in need. Of all the people who passed by, you were the only one who stopped to see what was wrong. And you did not hesitate a moment to take a strange woman under your protection and provide her even further assistance. You are simply a good man—the best I have ever known.”

  She gazed at him and pressed her lips briefly to his. “I hope to be worthy of you, Mr. Darcy.”

  “My love, it is you who see in me the best of men and make me want to be such.”

  “Again, you put the merit where it is not deserved. Believe me; I only speak the truth.”

  “I fear I do not deserve your praise, Elizabeth. I simply offer help where I see the need. It is what I was taught by my excellent father. But this does not compensate for the other flaws in my character. I know I am not a pleasant man, I do not possess easy manners, and I only care for a few people’s company. When we were in Meryton…if Mrs. Philips or Lady Lucas were in some kind of trouble, I would have readily helped them. But you could never induce me to spend an evening in easy conversation with any of them. I am sorry, but that is who I am.”

  Elizabeth laughed and kissed his face several times. Under the delightful assault of her soft lips, Darcy continued his confession.

  “I am a selfish man; you already know that. Even tonight—I did bring Mrs. Johnson and the children to the inn, and I paid for their comfort. But you are the one who thought of their true needs and asked for milk and hot soup. Then you told Stevens to give the baskets of food to my men. You are the one who is kind and generous. My only concern was to see everyone settled so I could be alone with you.”

  “Come, sir, let us not argue over whi
ch of us is better,” Elizabeth whispered through her kisses. “Let us agree that neither of us is perfect, but we are perfect for each other.”

  They soon became so caught up in the delight of shared kisses and caresses that they failed to hear a soft knock. When they finally did, both startled and hurried to arrange their appearance before Darcy opened the door. Mrs. Nott was holding a tray of food and drinks.

  “Thank you, this looks lovely. We shall not need anything else until morning,” Darcy said. He then closed and locked the door, turning to his wife, who was laughing at his prompt dismissal of the efficient Mrs. Nott.

  “Hopefully, this will be the last disturbance tonight. Are you hungry?”

  “A little.”

  He took her hand and brought her to the table by the window. Elizabeth sat and pulled the curtains just enough to look outside. She saw only darkness and the rain blowing against the windows.

  They chose some food, taking small bites between intense gazes. They were both slightly disconcerted, one trying to guess what to expect from that night, the other struggling to put aside expectations.

  “Would you like a little wine?” he asked. “It will help you sleep.”

  “Just a little,” she answered. She took a sip then licked her lips. That little gesture caused Darcy’s blood to boil, and he emptied his glass to satiate a thirst of another kind.

  “I hope it will stop soon—the rain,” she whispered.

  “As do I…before I lose my sanity.”

  “I can see you are upset. Is it so bad?” she inquired shyly. “I mean…even if it is not our home, I enjoy being here with you. I understand that it is different from what you are accustomed to…”

  Only then did Darcy understand her meaning, and he hurried to her. “My beloved, I enjoy being alone with you more than you can imagine! Under different circumstances, I would not worry were the storm to last a week! As long as I am with you, nothing else matters. It is just that…”

  “Yes?”