Fate and Consequences

by Linda Wells

  Susie appeared and immediately blushed. “Mrs. Darcy, your bath is ready.” They broke apart and Elizabeth nodded. “Thank you.” She looked back at William. “How long …”

  He leaned and kissed her softly. “I shall meet you in the sitting room in an hour.” He indicated the door and raised his brows to her. “Agreed?”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Agreed.” He squeezed her hand and she watched him disappear through the door.

  Turning around to look again at the room, she saw all of the little touches that he had chosen for her, the colours, the carving in the furniture, even the fabrics themselves seemed to be symbolic of the bits of information he had discerned in her letters. A great deal of thought and dreaming went into the decoration of this room. Susie cautiously reappeared. “Are you ready, Mrs. Darcy?” She nodded and smiled, walking into the dressing room, and noting the full-length mirror and dressing table, already holding an assortment of perfumes for her use. The closets were yawning with their emptiness. Her small supply of clothes barely made a dent in the capacity that was available. She could not imagine filling the room, but knew someday she would. Susie helped her out of the wedding gown, and took down her hair. The necklace was placed in its box and she watched with a smile as Susie carefully placed it in the safe hidden in the back of one closet. They entered the room that contained the bathtub and Elizabeth stood still in astonishment.

  Susie glanced at her. “It took me by surprise, too!”

  “You could fit three people in that!” Elizabeth whispered, admiring the enormous copper tub. It was a far cry from the family tub she grew up using, one she could barely fit inside.

  The bath was accomplished quickly, and Susie dried and brushed out her hair. “I did not know what you would like as your nightdress, Mrs. Darcy, there is nothing new …”

  Elizabeth looked sadly at the three muslin gowns that were displayed. “No, this is not what I had in mind for tonight either.” She sighed and then looked down at the yellow robe she was wearing. “I think that this will have to do.”

  Susie’s eyes widened. “But …”

  Elizabeth smiled. “That will be all, Susie. I will ring for you in the morning.”

  Susie bobbed and looked her over one more time. “You look very beautiful, Mrs. Darcy.”

  Elizabeth stood before the mirror, adjusting her curls, and smoothed the silk robe that her mother had slipped into her trunk. She took a deep breath and noting the time, walked into her bedchamber and paused at the open door to the sitting room.

  William stood by the fire, leaning and looking into the flames. He was turned sideways, and she could clearly see the evidence of his prominent arousal pushing the silk of his deep blue robe away from his body. Her breath caught, and she must have made a sound as he instantly looked up and towards the doorway. She would never forget the expression on his face when he saw her. He stood frozen, drinking her in, and commanded himself, Remember this!

  After seemingly hours of staring, Darcy advanced towards her, and Elizabeth met him in the middle of the room. “You are lovely.” He breathed, and entwined his fingers in her long, loose hair, combing them through. Elizabeth’s hands rested on his hips and Darcy cupped her face in his hands, “I love you.” He lowered his mouth to kiss her once, then hovered above to watch her tongue appear to wet her lips, and covered them again, stroking the warm, trembling flesh. Elizabeth moaned softly and pressed her body to his, encircling him with her arms, and stroking his back. His arms lowered to surround her shoulders and draw her against his chest.

  She moaned again when he began moving his lips slowly down her face to her throat, and lingered there, tasting her earlobe, and finding her pulse. Elizabeth closed her eyes and relaxed into the sensations that were flowing through her, the gentle brush of his hair against her cheek, the warm softness of his tongue, his hands, travelling possessively over and up and down her back, and his heady scent that seemed to encompass her senses with everything that was him. “I love you, Will.” She whispered in the ear that was so close to her mouth, and she tenderly drew in his lobe, inspiring his low moan.

  Darcy’s lips returned to hers, and his hands moved to the front of her robe. While they kissed with increasing passion, his fingers untied the belt and he spread the fabric open. His hands reached inside to touch, then suddenly stopped and drew away. “Lizzy … you are…” He stood back, holding her hands and looked with pleasure and delight at the nude body of his blushing wife appearing within the open robe. Darcy’s smile grew and he pushed the silk back and off of her shoulders to puddle on the floor. “Oh, my love … you are beautiful!” He laughed and reached out to touch her firm and intoxicatingly soft breasts, then down her waist, over her enticingly curved hips then around to pull her to him, while running his hands over her back. “What a gift you are!” Elizabeth recovered a little from her embarrassment and slipped her hands between them, tugging at his belt.

  “I believe that it is time to open my gift, Will.” Darcy’s delighted laugh rumbled in her ear, and he moved away a little, fixing his twinkling warm eyes on her face while she looked down to untie his robe. To her great surprise, she found that he too wore nothing beneath the silk. There before her was the tight, muscled body she had imagined and felt, but never fully seen. She caressed her hands upwards through the soft curls blooming on his chest, then down to touch and fondle the velvety skin of his potent manhood.

  Darcy growled and shuddered with her touch. “Lizzzy.” Elizabeth bit her lip and looked up at him, lowering her hands to weigh his stones in one palm, and then stroked him slowly with the confident precision that her knowledge allowed. He drew her hands from him then clasped her body to his, and bestowed deep, wet, lingering kisses. He nibbled the tender swollen lips then soothed them with his tongue, and drew hers into his mouth to caress. Darcy released her and bent, scooping her up in his arms. He stared at her with intense, dark eyes. “Come wife, to our bed.”

  Elizabeth smiled and touched his reddened lips, then brushed his cheek with her fingertips. Lifting her chin she breathed in his ear, “Take me, husband.”

  They entered the softly lit room, a fire blazed, a few candles glowed, and an open and forgotten bottle of wine sat on a table near a sofa. A tray piled with specially selected fruits and sweets, meant to inspire a seduction, waited for another time. Darcy lowered his precious burden onto the bed, disappeared for a moment to retrieve their discarded robes, and then climbed in beside her. He rested on his side touching her face, and ran his hand down her body. “Are you nervous?”

  “Are you?”

  Darcy smiled and laughed, nuzzling her face with his. “Yes.” He admitted then looked back up to her, seeing the warmth and sparkle in her beautiful eyes.

  “So am I.”

  He closed his eyes, trying to think of ways to reassure her, and felt her finger delicately tracing over his lips. Looking at her he saw the love shining from her face, and ardour in her expression. She wants ME! He thought in joyous disbelief. Elizabeth turned on her side and pressed against him, kissing him lovingly.

  “I have dreamed of you in this bed.” His lips wandered down her throat to taste the silk of her shoulders. Elizabeth breathed deeply. His hair brushing against her face made her skin tingle and his skilful fingers circling and tenderly kneading her breasts encouraged the moan he craved. He continued exploring down and rubbed his face in the valley between. His mouth replaced his hands, caressing and savouring the tight peaks. “Will.” She moaned, desperately combing her fingers through his hair, and writhed against him. He looked longingly down to the dark triangle of curls between her legs, then back up to her parted lips. There were so many places he needed to love. “Do you want more, my wife?”

  “I do, I love you. I want you.” Darcy kissed her, and groaning, turned her onto her back, settling between her parted legs, and murmured against her lips, “I beg you to trust me, Lizzy.” He could feel the heat of her loins inviting his entry and breathed in her scent. He dragged his mouth away
from hers and looked again into her eyes, seeing the same passion and desire that he was feeling. He kissed her again, stroking his hands possessively over her breasts. Positioning his body, he very gently touched her, spreading the wetness over his fingers, and carefully pushed inside. Her gasp matched his moan and he sank into the warm abyss as he slowly entered. The anticipation of this moment began the first day he had seen her, and now the reality of feeling his heavy rigid member pushing into her narrow walls nearly caused his instant release. Breathing raggedly he fought for control, and felt the caress of her hands on his bottom, urging him forward. Gratefully he settled onto her, wrapping her in his embrace, and steadily continued to open her until she possessed all of him. Darcy was overwhelmed by the feeling of finally loving her, and could not read the expression that came over her face when their bodies were completely joined.

  “Does it hurt?” He whispered anxiously.

  Elizabeth drew his face back to hers. “No, it … it feels like …” She closed her eyes and moaned. “Oh Will, it is indescribable.”

  His voice caught with emotion as he watched tears begin to appear in her eyes. “Please let those be tears of joy.” She nodded and wiped his eyes. Relieved, he bit his lip then kissed her deeply, and confidently began to move, thrusting steadily and slowly, building into a rhythm that she gradually learned and matched. Before long her arms were around his neck, her hands in his hair, and his body was gliding over hers. Their mouths joined, their tongues moving in time with his thrusts, and muffling the sounds that would have filled the room. Neither one heard the rhythmic rocking of the bed, it simply added to the other sensations of the moment; the smell of their lovemaking, the warmth of their skin, the bunching of the counterpane, and the strong constant sound of their bodies coming together, again and again and again. Elizabeth felt the building tension within her, and knew what would follow. She allowed the powerful feeling of rapture to spread up and over her, thrilling him with her cry. Darcy felt her squeezing him and immediately covered her mouth with his own, and suddenly, joyously, lost himself in his own coming of ecstasy. For the first time, he had made love.

  He opened his eyes again to see his Elizabeth looking to him with devotion. “You are mine.” He whispered hoarsely.

  She smiled, “And you are mine.”

  He kissed her and hugged her to him. “Forever, my love, forever yours.”

  ELIZABETH WOKE and felt the wonderful warmth of William’s nude body curled around her. One hand was resting possessively on a breast, the other; she could feel beneath her pillow. His face shared the pillow as well, and his breath tickled her neck. On the three occasions when they had slept together, there had been a slight nagging fear of discovery, but now, all she felt was the comfort and safety that she had craved her whole life. Knowing her William’s history, she could only imagine that he felt even more fulfilled. The clock chimed and she realized that it was only ten. They had skipped supper to instead consummate their marriage, and now she began to feel the hunger that both the long day and wonderful exercise inspired.

  Spotting the dance of the fire reflected in the wine bottle, she cast a longing glance at the tray full of fruit. Elizabeth bit her lip, and slowly began to extricate herself from her husband’s embrace, pausing and listening, and eventually managed to slip free. She knew that her robe was somewhere in the room, but could not remember where William had placed it. Glancing at him she picked up a small blanket thrown over the sofa and held it to her breasts, then stole across the room to the table where she found oranges and lemon biscuits, little cakes, apples, and several fruits she did not recognize.

  It took only moments for Darcy to sense that Elizabeth had left the bed and he awakened, sitting up and searching the room for her. The soft glow of the fire revealed her bending near the table, her nude back turned to him, her only covering the curtain of hair. The sight stole his breath. Before she could notice him he was out of the bed and by her side. He stood behind her and encircling his hands around her waist, he whispered. “You are beautiful Elizabeth.” One hand cupped her breasts while the other lowered to fondle her curls. She rested her head against his chest and looked up to him, and before she could utter a word, his mouth encompassed hers in a demanding kiss. The orange on her tongue made him hungry, but not for food.

  Elizabeth turned, forcing his probing fingers to change position to instead cup her bottom. Her hands travelled up and down his back, mirroring his touch, and pulled his hips forward to press his swollen groin against her belly. His kisses crushed her lips, and he devoured her with the fervency he had held in check for so long. She felt the intensity of his desire, so different from anything he had displayed before, and encouraged him, drawing her lips away to whisper in his ear while he raked his teeth and tongue over her throat. Her whispered words of passion drove him wild. “More Lizzy, tell me more.”

  “Show me what you have imagined, Will.”

  He groaned and pulled her down to the thick rug before the fire, and lingered over her, searching her eyes. Elizabeth reached between them to stroke his straining pride. They both moaned with the contact, and he abandoned all control. His hands possessed her breasts, stimulating the nipples relentlessly while his mouth fell upon her vulnerable and exposed throat. He kissed and suckled, leaving his mark, and glorying in her moans. His mouth and hands travelled further down her soft, warm body to find the glistening pink flesh peeking from her dark tangle of curls. He stroked her lovingly with his tongue, and tasted the sweet flavour that only he would ever know.

  Elizabeth felt his lips kissing her, his rough cheek brushing her thighs, and was unable to make a coherent sound, only concentrating on not flinching or drawing away from the unfamiliar, overwhelming, and disconcertingly wonderful feel of his tongue lapping over her most sensitive place. She wanted him to continue, to love her, to … “Ohhhhhhhhhhh. Oh Will!” His lips sucked and he nibbled something that made her hips buck and writhe. “Ohhhhh!” Her cries moved from whimpers to moans, as the new sensations travelled throughout her body. Panting, she grasped his head to drive his ravenous mouth closer. Darcy’s hands spread her legs farther apart, and he drank in the intoxicating aroma of his lover. Her ecstasy arrived and his attention never wavered, never gave her a chance to relax. He revelled in her harsh cries of release. When the flood of her sweet essence touched his tongue, he immediately rose up and in one thrust, plunged deep inside of her. They both gasped at the feeling, but even in this, he did not cease his motion. It was the pounding vigour of his strokes, possessing, demanding, inextricably joining them that finally freed Darcy’s expression of passion. His deep hoarse voice told her with every powerful thrust of his hips how he loved her, how he wanted her, how he craved her. Wicked, private words that he had kept bottled inside poured from his lips and thrilled her to the bone. Elizabeth clung to his driving body, wrapped her legs around his waist and instinctively matched her hips to his pace, trying to draw him in deeper with each fevered motion. His arms straddled her, and his head hung down, watching as he moved within her. Elizabeth reached up to drag his face to hers and silenced his words with a desperate kiss. That kiss was his undoing, and he let go to find euphoria, filling her with his seed and collapsing onto her soft, slick, yielding, delicious body.

  Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his heaving back, not wanting to relinquish the feeling of their union. “I am crushing you.” He finally managed to say after catching his breath. He rolled onto his side, bringing her clinging form with him, and kissed her.

  “That was …”

  “I do not know what came over me.”

  “Whatever it was, please let it happen again.”

  Darcy had been preparing to apologize. He hardly knew what he had said to her, but surely his lovemaking was too much for his sweet wife. He stared at her in astonishment. “You … you are not … angry?”

  “Angry?” She started to laugh. “Oh Will, how could I be angry with such passion? I would not wish for such every time, but oh yes, I want t
his again.”

  He beamed and laughed, hugging her tightly to his chest. “Oh Lizzy, what a wanton wench I have married!”

  A bubbling laugh rose near his throat, and she lifted her head to kiss his chin. “And what does that make you?” Her eyes danced and she caressed his cheek.

  Darcy nuzzled his nose against her face and growled. “A rake.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “I think, dearest Lizzy, we will enjoy our marriage bed very much.” He kissed her tenderly. “Slowly, and …”

  “Exuberantly?”

  He chuckled again. “Indeed.”

  They rested before the warm fire a little longer before they decided to rise. Elizabeth, walking with a slight wobble, donned her robe and left for her dressing room to tidy herself, and when she reappeared, she was surprised to see William pouring glasses of wine at a table set before the fire in her bedchamber.

  “What is this?”

  “You were hungry.” He smiled and led her to a chair, bent and kissed her, caressing her cheek, then took his own seat.

  “Why did we move into here?”

  Darcy took her hand and kissed it. “Do you remember when I said that I dreamed of seeing you in my bed?” She tilted her head and nodded. “That was the truth. I thought of that … well, not long after we met.” Elizabeth blushed and he tenderly kissed her hand again. “I have spent years alone in that room … this room is for you, for us … this is where I wish to live the rest of my life.”

  Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed him. “A fresh beginning?” He nodded. “And at Pemberley? Shall we exorcise the ghosts in one room before moving to another?” Her smile relaxed the seriousness of the conversation.

  Darcy laughed. “That is precisely my plan. Do you approve?”

  “I do, very much.” It took fortitude, but Darcy resisted the sudden urge to take her to their new bed that moment. They had the rest of their lives ahead of them.

  THE DARCYS remained in London for five days. And much to Elizabeth’s surprise, they managed to leave their room to tour the house and take care of some business. Their first stop was at the modiste who Georgiana favoured. Darcy informed the woman that Elizabeth would purchase her entire wardrobe for the coming Season there if she produced a wardrobe suitable for winter within a fortnight. He indicated that no expense would be spared. Elizabeth was measured, fabrics were chosen, patterns were picked over, preferences noted, and within three hours, under the watchful gaze of her husband, and the efficient work of the modiste, a vast array of clothing suitable for the Mistress of Pemberley was ordered. It would all be delivered the week before Christmas, to ensure a sizable bonus. The next stop was the furrier, to purchase a warm coat and gloves, then on to the cobbler, for fur-lined boots. Those would be ready before they departed. They spent one evening at dinner in Gracechurch Street, and Darcy was delighted to meet the pleasant Gardiner family. Learning that they were to come to Lambton in the summer, he invited them to stay at Pemberley. The day before they were to leave for Derbyshire, Mrs. Hendricks requested a few hours of Elizabeth’s time, to acquaint her with the household, and establish her preferences for meals and servant’s behaviour before they returned in the spring. Darcy took the opportunity to pay an important call.