His heart broke that she felt unworthy, so he lifted her up so he could look into her eyes and held her, his face inches from hers. Her breath hitched, and electricity buzzed between them. The intimacy between them sizzled, especially when they were in close proximity.
She felt self-conscious; he had a way of piercing her soul. She tried to look away; however, he stopped her and placed his hand under her chin and gently moved her face to keep eye contact.
“In vain, I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I love you . . .”
Elizabeth could not help but giggle. It was classic Darcy, and he knew she loved it when he spoke to her as such.
He gave her the “let me finish” look, but he was happy he could make her smile and laugh.
She wiped her tears and gave him a straight face. “Proceed, good sir.”
“As I was saying, darling, you are the most amazing person in the world. You certainly do deserve everything and me, for you mean the world to me. So please, darling, no more tears.”
Her lips trembled; she was on the verge of crying again. “Aww, darling, come here.” He scooped her up on his lap, and she buried her face in his shirt.
“It is entirely your fault; you have to be charming and always say the sweetest things.”
He kissed the top of her head. “If you prefer, I can be an arrogant brute?” He laughed heartily.
She pulled back and playfully purred. “Mr. Darcy that would be such a turn-on. You must stop with the sweet talk; are you trying to go for round two?”
He laughed as he pulled her to him. “There is the feisty Lizzie I know. Are you suggesting you want to go at it again?”
She rolled her eyes, and they both laughed together. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Hello, guys, did you forget about me?”
Elizabeth and Darcy both looked at each other. “Oh shit, I forgot all about Jo!” Elizabeth said.
Darcy jumped out of bed and opened the door a crack. “We shall be down in a moment, Jo.”
“All right, well, the band has left, and I am famished,” Jo said.
“Please go ahead and eat, we shan’t be long.”
Elizabeth could hear Jo’s eyeballs roll. “Okay, well, don’t expect any shrimp left.”
Darcy opened up the door a bit more and saw Jo walking toward the stairs. “It is all clear now, let us get dressed and I shall escort you down.”
“Oh, such a gentleman and a panty-dropper.”
Darcy knew exactly what she meant; she’d had to explain it to him once before. “I would not have it any other way; I love when you drop your panties for me.”
“You cad,” she laughed. He approached her and helped her get out of bed. Once up, she went straight for her jeans and a sweatshirt. Darcy did not have any qualms about it and insisted on helping her. He thought it was a good choice because that dress drove him madly to lust; though he found her beautiful in anything, he just did not trust himself not to rip it off her.
“Well, this is a change. You, helping me put on my clothes, instead of taking them off.”
“Well, we can skip dinner altogether and stay naked in bed?”
“Tempting, but I am afraid of leaving Jo alone; who knows what kind of trouble she would get into. Plus, I am famished, myself. I am a little weak in the legs!” she said as she pulled on her jeans, and Darcy helped her with pulling her sweatshirt over her head. They were finished. He scooped her up and walked her downstairs. “Darling, I can walk, you don’t have to continue to carry me.”
“It is my duty to sweep you off your feet any chance that I can get!”
“Well, you are doing a fine job of it.” She kissed him on the cheek, leaving a lipstick mark. He did not seem to mind. He always joked and said it was her way of marking her territory.
They met Jo in the dining hall, eating shrimp, as she said she would. Darcy put Elizabeth down, pulled out her chair, and pushed it in for her. He sat next to her, and the servers began to serve them. Jo rolled her eyes. “Such a gentleman; you both are so sweet I get a toothache being in the same room.”
“Jealous much?” Elizabeth stuck out her tongue.
Jo sighed and dreamily stared off into space. “Just a tad. Oh, what I would not do for an over-two-hundred-year-old man. I do like them older. It is a shame a rich friend of yours, Darcy, did not transport over.”
“Trust me, Jo; Darcy is a real catch, and one in a million when it comes to an over-two-hundred-year-old man.”
Darcy sat up straight; his ego was stroked, and he appeared to love it. “I must agree I am much better than any of those cads. I must say I have aged pretty well over the centuries.”
“Down, boy, humble much?” Jo snorted.
“That is one thing about him; he loves his ego being stroked, and he is full of confidence.” Elizabeth laughed.
“That is one of the many reasons you love me, darling.” He placed his hand on her thigh and started rubbing it. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he picked up a forkful of food.
“Indeed, it is, my love.” She stroked his hand, then playfully stroked his thigh and moved lower. When her hand met the desired destination, she teased him.
He began to eat and choked on his chicken. He took a sip of his wine, his face red.
“Oh, darling, are you all right?”
“Yes, I am fine; it just went down the wrong way.”
“I understand, darling, everybody has a hard time swallowing every once in a while. Some are just naturals at swallowing.” She grinned innocently.
“Woah, the innuendos, perhaps you need some privacy,” Jo said.
“Whatever do you mean?” Elizabeth batted her eyelashes.
“Don’t play Miss Innocent Virgin over there.” Jo pointed her finger at Elizabeth. She stopped waving her finger when another server came into the room. Her mouth was watering, and not at the food he was bringing in. She moaned, and without thinking, she said, “Where have you been all my life, I would love to take a sip of you—you’re a tall drink of water.”
Darcy and Elizabeth both choked on their food; Elizabeth spit a little out. “I see you do spit as well as swallow,” Darcy teased.
Elizabeth glared at him. “Down, boy.”
Jo did not hear their conversation. She was too busy hitting on the server. “We better save Marcus before she devours him.”
Darcy sat back, amused. “Marcus is a big boy, and I think he can handle himself.”
“You don’t know Jo very well. Next thing you know, she will be dragging him to a room, having her way with him, and she will be planning her wedding!”
“Hello, I can hear you,” Jo said from across the table. Marcus was beet red and uncomfortable—he hurriedly went over to Elizabeth and Darcy to serve them.
“Marcus, you can handle yourself, correct?” Darcy mused.
“Yes, my lord, I think I can,” he whispered, as he stared back at Jo.
“See, darling, nothing to worry about. Marcus has this handled.”
Elizabeth pulled Marcus closer and whispered, “If she starts talking about wedding dates, run as far as you can.”
Marcus whispered back, “I think I might take my chances on this golden goddess.”
Elizabeth did a mental slap. “Oh my God.”
Marcus stood straight up and excused himself.
Jo pouted. “You went and scared off my one chance at happiness.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Well, don’t get all dramatic. He did say he was willing to take his chances and seems to be interested. He called you a golden goddess.”
“Hot damn, well, I’ll be. Please excuse me; I have to go find my future husband.”
“See, I told you,” Elizabeth sighed.
“Well, Jo is in for a surprise when she finds out he has several other women he entertains.”
She was shocked. “Why did you not say something? That is horrible of you!”
“Well, it was like watchi
ng, how you say it, a train wreck. I could not bring myself to stop. Perhaps she is the one to rein him in and make him settle down.”
“Well, she is strong-willed and has a way of being persuasive, so you might have a point. He does not stand a chance, with saying no to her.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jo decided to make herself a permanent resident after she won, or as Elizabeth and Darcy agreed, wore Marcus out. Elizabeth was thrilled Jo would be around to help her plan her wedding. However, Jo was unsure why Elizabeth would not hire a wedding planner, since Jo brought up on several occasions that she was loaded with enough of a fortune that, if she wanted, she could have her wedding in Paris, or buy out the Sistine Chapel for the occasion. Even better, Jo suggested buying the French house from Love Actually, and getting married there. Elizabeth was against all of it. Furthermore, she felt it would be less personal if she allowed someone else to take over her dream wedding.
Elizabeth and Darcy wanted to waste no time and wanted to marry before the baby was due. Elizabeth was adamant on having her winter wedding. So, together they decided on December 20th, which only gave her five months to plan her wedding.
Jo and Elizabeth worked diligently in her study, and Darcy came in to try to pry them away to join him for lunch; he was shooed away. They told him they needed no help and had coffee and pastries.
During the whole process, he was only allowed to decide the wedding date, and whether he liked the font of their wedding invitations. The whole concept of wedding planning was beyond his expertise. He did insist that he get to choose the honeymoon. She was skeptical but relented. At least he could feel like he contributed something, and this day was about him too.
He joked that Elizabeth was not this detailed when they first married.
“Darling, I was young and unsophisticated in my tastes. You married a dull Elizabeth, and now you are marrying a new and improved Elizabeth. In addition, I don’t remember her wedding. So, I have to have new memories, and make it so I will never forget.”
Darcy could not argue with that, but insisted she was not dull; she was just as feisty and amazing as she was when he first met her.
She pointed out that he had acted as if he despised her and picked on him for his unromantic proposal the first time.
“If you cannot remember our wedding and most of our life together, how can you remember my proposal?”
She laughed. “Darling, the whole world knows it. It has been immortalized in print, thanks to Jane Austen.”
He turned red; he was ashamed for his actions as Darcy in the past, and that millions of women were aware of it. However, he made every effort to fix it, and ensure that his blunders would not be immortalized in print this time around.
“Sweets, I care not for the past; I would not have you any other way. Trust me, women who read Pride and Prejudice are in love with you and find you dashing. They only know you from reading about you. I know you are far more than one-dimensional and love you dearly. Your proposal would make them jealous, but that is our special moment to share and immortalize in our hearts.”
His heart swelled with love; he picked her up and spun her around in the air. “Darling, you make me a better man. It is because of you that I strive to overcome my pride and the past. I never want to disappoint you, and I will give you everything that you deserve. Even if it means that I sit back and do not help you with the wedding plans, and only have to show up. However, I must ardently insist that I take care of the well-being of you and our child. You need to come and join me for lunch. You require more than coffee and pastries.”
“Well, if you insist, you must put me down.”
He placed her down on the floor and looked over at Jo. “That includes you; you must join us to eat.”
“I shall, if you promise to save the sweet talk for later. You guys really are sickeningly adorable together.”
“We promise,” Elizabeth and Darcy said in unison.
“Great, now you guys are speaking at the same time. Seriously, you guys are a match made in heaven.”
They started walking out to the dining area. Darcy took Elizabeth’s arm in his, and she turned around to Jo. “I take it you and Marcus are not doing well?”
“Well,” Jo sighed, “Marcus seems bored and not interested. I don’t think he means to settle down with me. Perhaps I am just ‘Miss Right Now’ instead of ‘Miss Right’.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I am so very sorry.” Elizabeth grew sad and concerned. She did not want to see Jo upset and hurt over a guy.
“I shall have a talk with him,” Darcy chimed in.
Elizabeth and Jo both shouted, “No!”
“It is the honorable thing to do. He is employed by me, and if his intentions are not honorable, he must suffer the consequences.”
“Darling, this is not the eighteen hundreds. As sweet as it is, I am afraid it would only make matters worse.”
“Nonsense,” he said, and looked at Jo. “You are our dearest friend, and no man shall ever dishonor you.”
Jo smiled weakly. “Such a knight in shining armor, but I think I can handle this. This is not my first rodeo with a noncommittal man.”
Darcy said sternly, “Regardless, you should never settle, nor be treated as such.”
They reached the dining area, and Marcus was waiting to serve them. Elizabeth gave him the stink eye, and Darcy gave him a cold look as well.
Jo noticed this and shot daggers at them both, motioning for them to stop it. Marcus was taken aback, and unsure of what was going on. He shook it off and began to serve Elizabeth and Darcy. He served Jo last and placed a silver tray with a lid in front of her.
Darcy, Elizabeth, and Jo were puzzled. “What is this?” Jo asked, and Marcus did not reply. He proceeded to remove the lid. Before her was a hamburger, fries, and a velvet box.
Jo sucked in air to calm down but could not. “What the hell . . .”
Darcy and Elizabeth both got up to take a closer look but stopped in mid-step once the lid was removed.
Jo was speechless, and everyone was silent as Marcus took the box off the plate, got down on one knee, and opened it. The glint of silver caught Elizabeth’s eye. When Marcus picked up a silver chain with a key dangling on the other end, Elizabeth gauged Jo’s reaction. Jo grinned from ear to ear. Elizabeth was impressed at how composed Jo was. She’d thought that surely, Jo would have been disappointed that it wasn’t a ring.
Before Jo could say anything, Marcus began, “My golden goddess, I know we have not known each other long, but it feels like it has been a lifetime. I love you more than anything; will you do me the honor of moving in with me?”
Jo found her voice. “Yes!” They both kissed. She pulled back. “You little shit, and I thought you were going to break up with me!”
“Of course not, darling! Why would you think such a thing?”
“Well, you have been quiet and distant.”
“I was nervous, and I did not know when the best time to ask you was. I apologize for making you think that.” He took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Jo was responding, and Elizabeth could have sworn they were going to make out.
Before they could continue, Elizabeth nudged Darcy, signaling that they had better stop it before clothes came off. They approached them both and congratulated them.
Jo was beaming as she admired the key. “So, when can I move in?”
Elizabeth laughed. “Have you grown tired of us already?”
Jo grinned. “Not at all, it’s getting a little cramped in here.”
“What are you talking about? We live in a manor with more rooms than we need,” Elizabeth pointed out.
“Well, in all honesty, you two lovebirds are so sickeningly sweet that it makes me want to gag sometimes.” Jo made a gagging gesture.
“Well, Marcus, take her away now.” Elizabeth glared, then started laughing.
Marcus placed his hands on Jo’s shoulders and grinned. “Gladly.”
“Let’s talk about close
t space.” Jo beamed.
Marcus kissed the top of her head. “There is plenty of closet space and then some, my love.”
Jo squealed like a teenager. “All my dreams are coming true! A hot guy, and my own closet space, that isn’t the size of a post-stamp.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “She’s not materialistic in the least bit.”
Marcus laughed. “No, not in the least.”
Jo jumped up and ran over to Elizabeth. “Thank your Aunt Jane for me. Without her, you wouldn’t have been in this amazing place, and I wouldn’t have met Marcus.”
Marcus stared at Darcy, and Darcy shrugged. “It’s best not to understand, women are strange creatures.”
Jo turned to Marcus. “So, since it’s getting pretty serious, what is your last name?”
“Should I point out my last name is Bingley?”
Jo and Elizabeth looked at him and said in unison, “Whoa.”
“You did not know that?” Elizabeth asked.
“We have been too busy to be on a last-name basis.” Jo grinned.
Elizabeth looked at Darcy. “Did you know?”
Darcy held his palms up. “I try not to get involved in the staff’s lives.”
“Well, it looks like that is about to change, Mr. Darcy. If I am right, he is family.”
“How do you figure that out?” Darcy remarked.
Marcus said, “If I may explain, I just discovered that Jane Bennet is my great-great-great-grandmother.”
“Astonishing,” Darcy said. “Why are you working here then as the help, considering your bloodline?”
“Well, honestly, I heard that Pemberley was to be occupied, and I was curious to see who was moving in. I was quite surprised that you, Mr. Darcy, resembled the Mr. Darcy in the paintings, but that is impossible since you would be at least two hundred and thirty-five years old. I also received a strange letter, detailing that I am to receive some sort of inheritance bequeathed from Anise Darcy.”
Elizabeth mumbled, “It is very possible, he is Darcy 2.0.”
“One night, while Jo was drunk, she revealed it all to me. That Darcy was reincarnated and you both were stuck in the past.”
Elizabeth glared at Jo, and Jo protested. “You know how I get when I am drunk, and I have a loose tongue.”
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