Holiday Bliss Complete, Box Set Books 1-3: a Pride & Prejudice Intimate
Page 11
“Elizabeth, I do feel some concern about the physical aspects of performing our marital duties.”
“Oh, Jane!” Elizabeth leaned toward her sister, whose face was as flushed as she imagined her own to be, and took her soft hand. “I share your concerns. My consternation is all the greater because Mr. Darcy has been absent these past weeks with business at Pemberley. You have been more fortunate in the fact that Mr. Bingley has been able to call on you with prompt regularity during the engagement period.”
Jane nodded. “In that, you are correct, Lizzy. But I have to confess that I am not sure such constant contact has made it easier. Having my darling Bingley close by has served to increase his ardor on a daily basis. Though he is a kind and gentle man, I fear that he might be overcome with passion on our wedding night, and so I find myself rather dreading it.”
Elizabeth felt in herself a mordant chill, composed of equal parts delight and terror. She recalled a conversation that Mrs. Gardiner, her dear aunt, had instigated during her engagement period. With some hesitation, Elizabeth now conveyed the substance of the communication to Jane.
“I do believe that I have some useful intelligence to impart on the subject of wedding nights. Our Aunt Gardiner broached the subject with me some weeks ago. Her advice was to be prepared to experience both pain and astonishment. She also made a suggestion, though no doubt kindly intended, that I found so vulgar I can hardly repeat.”
Jane leaned toward her sister and fixed her eyes on Elizabeth’s. “Lizzy, you must tell me what she said. Fear not that I shall think less of you for speaking in such candid terms. Indeed, I implore you to share with me any information given by our aunt.” Jane took her hand out of Elizabeth’s and put it on her own lap. Her lip trembled, and her face took on a certain pallor. “Whatever it is, I shall bear up under it. I simply must have some notion of what to expect. The scenes conjured up by my imagination are no doubt far worse than any reality.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Let me hasten to remind you, Jane, that our Aunt Gardiner is the mother of four little ones, and so whatever is ahead of us must be bearable, or she would not be so… abundant. Moreover, our own mother, though often seeming to be possessed of more voice than sense, would have stopped after the first daughter if it were indeed too horrible to repeat. Whatsoever she may lack in decorum, Mrs. Bennet does not lack for the ability to call attention to her poor nerves and her ill health.” Elizabeth could not help but giggle, despite the seriousness of the subject matter, and Jane herself gave a brief smile, and then resumed her fearful expression.
“Pray, Lizzy,” said Jane, “torture me no longer in this way. I bid you to share the intelligence that our aunt has given to you.”
Elizabeth felt her face color again. In a low voice, she described to Jane how her aunt had advised visits to both horse farms and pigpens in order to get some understanding of the reality of mating. At this suggestion, Jane blanched. For a moment, Elizabeth feared that her sister would faint. Again taking Jane’s hand in hers, Elizabeth asked if she should fetch some wine or other remedy to revive her.
Jane insisted that she would be fine, and only gently remonstrated with her sister for not passing this advice on earlier. “My dear Lizzy, what good could this possibly do us now, as we sit on the edge of my bed, about to retire on the night before the momentous occasion of our joint wedding? I hardly think you and I are in a position to go visit pig farms tonight.”
Elizabeth was relieved to see that some of the color had returned to Jane’s face, as her sister managed a small smile at the absurdity of the notion.
“Tell me truly, Jane, if I had suggested an outing to a pig farm or a corral full of mating horses as a suitable pastime for two sisters engaged to gentlemen such as Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, would you have undertaken it?”
Jane shook her head rapidly and actually laughed. “No indeed, I would not. You judge me well, Lizzy.”
After a final embrace, the two sisters had taken to their separate beds, each left alone to dwell on her own desires or fears with regard to the wedding night ahead of them. For herself, Elizabeth slept poorly, transfixed by notions of her powerful husband overcoming her person in a most unnatural way.
Read the rest in Lily Lord’s Marital Bliss series, about the first week of Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage!
Buy the first book, Wedding Night, for $2.99
Buy the Marital Bliss Box Set I, Books 1-4, for $6.99
Or pick up the entire series, Marital Bliss Complete, Books 1-7, for only $9.99
And be on the lookout for the next Lily Lord collection, the Baby Bliss series, due in 2016!
Other Authors
Looking for more great stories based on Jane Austen’s creation? Here are some other wonderful authors writing new tales starring characters from Pride & Prejudice.
Barbara Silkstone has a series of contemporary stories that are both sweet and funny. You’ll love them. Try Pansy Cottage for a more innocent tale.
Lizzie plots a secret garden wedding for her sister Jane and Charles Bingley. Can she outsmart Mother Bennet or will the gorgon prevail? With her nerves in high gear, Mrs. Bennet plans the marriage of her eldest daughter. Behind the scenes, Lizzie races against the clock to design a small garden wedding ahead of her mother’s over-the-top ball. Can Darcy cart the unsuspecting Mrs. Bennet to the garden ceremony? Will Mr. Bennet cooperate with Lizzie’s plans, or does Pansy Cottage still cast a long shadow in his memories?
Pick up Pansy Cottage right now!
Kate Bedlow is an author who writes sexy tales about the characters from Pride and Prejudice. If your taste is more to the erotic, check out her books. Here is a description of her steamy romance, Mrs. Hurst and the Huntsman.
When Louisa Hurst goes out on her own to tour the vast and beautiful estate Pemberley, she takes a turn into the woods ~ and the reclusive huntsman who finds her decides to keep her.
Rackham Hurst caused the rift between himself and his wife, and he has respected the distance Louisa put between them. But he cannot stand to see her so unhappy any longer and decides to do something about it.
Louisa and Rackham may have a second chance at love ~ but first he has to find her…
Grab Mrs. Hurst and the Huntsman today!
A Note from Lily Lord
I am so pleased to be able to bring my readers this box set compiling the entire Holiday Bliss series! It has been a joy to venture into Regency romance and to imagine a future for Jane Austen’s characters. This has been such an exciting journey for me… and the fact that these books have become bestsellers is tremendously humbling.
I would so appreciate it if you could write a review about this box set of the Christmas trilogy or any of the books from my Holiday Bliss or Marital Bliss series. A sentence or two will do. And please tell your friends who are Pride and Prejudice fans if you enjoyed this story.
To find out about new stories by Lily Lord, sign up here. The first 100 readers to join the Lily Lord newsletter list will receive a free short story set in the intimate world of Darcy and Lizzy.
I would love to hear from you. Here is an email address that goes straight to me. If I made a mistake, either a typographical error or something that is historically inaccurate, I want to know… and I will correct it if I can. More than that, I want to know what you thought of my story!
I owe my readers everything. As you are one of them, I thank you.
Lily Lord
Pride and Prejudice Intimates
by Lily Lord
(clickable links)
Marital Bliss series
Wedding Night
Twice Tempted
Third Tryst
Fourth Foray
Fifth Flirtation
Sixth Seduction
Seventh Heaven
Marital Bliss Box Set I
Books 1-4
Marital Bliss Box Set II
Books 5-7
Marital Bliss Complete
Books 1-7
Holiday Bli
ss series
Pemberley Before Christmas
Pemberley At Christmas
Pemberley After Christmas
Holiday Bliss Complete
Books 1-3
Baby Bliss series
Due in 2016!
Acknowledgments
Thanks as always to my fellow JAFF authors, who are so kind and supportive to those of us who are bold enough to attempt to follow in the steps of Jane Austen!
Thanks to my darling Ricardo, who is my eternal alpha beta, and my one and only sexy story research partner.
And thanks, most of all, to Jane Austen for inventing Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and the story that has lived in the hearts of readers for centuries.
Copyright © 2015 Lily Lord
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.
Stay away from pirates and illegal books. Be fair to the author—please pay for your reading.
The author may be contacted at
LilyLordAuthor@gmail.com
Sonnet CXLI
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
In faith I do not love thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note;
But ‘tis my heart that loves what they despise,
Who, in despite of view, is pleased to dote.
Nor are mine ears with thy tongue’s tune delighted;
Nor tender feeling, to base touches prone,
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited
To any sensual feast with thee alone:
But my five wits nor my five senses can
Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,
Who leaves unswayed the likeness of a man,
Thy proud heart’s slave and vassal wretch to be:
Only my plague thus far I count my gain,
That she that makes me sin awards me pain.